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CMS proposes policies to support underserved communities

CMS proposes policies to support underserved communities

WASHINGTON – CMS has issued a proposed rule to improve the health of Medicare beneficiaries by addressing social determinants of health, strengthening emergency preparedness, and improving maternal health.  

The fiscal year (FY) 2025 Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) and Long-Term Care Hospital Prospective Payment System (LTCH PPS) rule builds on the Biden-Harris Administration’s work to support historically underserved and under-resourced communities and promote value-based care. 

“Hospitals should be a place you go into and get the care you need, regardless of whether you’re struggling to afford your rent, the color of your skin, or what else is going on in the world around you,” said U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra. “The Biden-Harris Administration is doing everything in its power to ensure hospitals have the prescription drugs and supplies they need so providers can focus on what they do best – helping our loved ones be healthy.” 

In the rule:  

  • Access to treatments that could help support rural and underserved communities. 

  • A permanent streamlined data reporting structure for COVID-19, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), with additional reporting that could be activated in the event of an emergency.  

  • Efforts to drive improvements in access to quality care during pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum.   

The rule has a 60-day comment period. It can be downloaded from the Federal Register at: https://www.federalregister.gov/public-inspection/2024-07567/medicare-and-medicaid-programs-and-the-childrens-health-insurance-program-hospital-inpatient

For a fact sheet on the rule, visit: https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/fy-2025-hospital-inpatient-prospective-payment-system-ipps-and-long-term-care-hospital-prospective

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