The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued a proposed rule for 2014 payment rates of hospital-provided inpatient services.
CMS proposes to increase inpatient acute care hospital rates under the Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) by 0.8%. But the agency is also suggesting a temporary reduction of 0.8% to implement the American Taxpayer Relief Act's requirement to recover overpayments from prior years as a result of a new patient classification system that better recognizes patient severity of illness. Combining these and other factors, CMS estimates that hospital inpatient payments will increase by 1.1%, or $62 million, in 2014.
CMS is accepting comments on the proposed rule until June 25, and the agency will respond in a final rule to be issued by August 1.
