CMS 2018 Medicare Hospital Payment & Policy Updates Include $3 Billion In Rate Increases

On April 14, 2017, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a proposed rule to update 2018 Medicare hospital payment and polices and increase hospital spending by $3 billion. The proposed rule also aims to relieve regulatory burdens for provider organizations, while also supporting transparency, flexibility, and innovation in delivery of care. Some of the changes are due to the 21st Century Cures Act. At the same time, CMS issued a request for information (RFI) to solicit ideas for regulatory, policy, practice, and procedural changes to better achieve transparency, flexibility, program simplification, and innovation related to inpatient acute . . .