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04/11/22

CMS Releases SNF FY 23 Proposed Rule

On April 11, 2022, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the fiscal year (FY) 2023 proposed rule for skilled nursing facilities for Part A services reimbursed under Patient Driven Payment Model. Comments on the proposed rule must be received by June 10, 2022. To access the proposed rule, click

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04/11/22

CMS Releases IRF FY 2023 Proposed Rule

On March 31, 2022, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the fiscal year (FY) 2023 proposed rule for Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities. The proposed rule was published on April 6, 2022 and CMS is accepting comments on the proposed rule until 5:00pm on May 31, 2022. To access the proposed rule, click

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07/13/21

CMS Releases CY 2022 Proposed Rule for Outpatient Therapy

On July 13, 2021, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the calendar year (CY) 2022 proposed rule for services reimbursed under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS). This rule does apply to outpatient physical, occupational and speech therapy services provided in all outpatient therapy settings except a critical access hospitals. This proposed rule only applies to traditional Medicare and not Medicare Advantage plans. Highlights of the final rule include, but are not limited to, the following: CO and CQ Assistant Modifiers Payment Reduction Calculation Adding Therapy Services to the List of Medicare Telehealth Services Therapy Codes Removed

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04/08/21

CMS Issues FY 2022 SNF Proposed Rule

On April 8, 2021, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued the fiscal year (FY) 2022 Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) proposed rule. Comments will be accepted on the proposed rule until 5:00pm on June 7, 2021. The proposed rule is schedule to be published in the Federal Register on April 15, 2021. Highlights of the proposed rule include the following: CMS is proposing to update the SNF payment rates by 1.3% CMS is soliciting broad public comments on a potential methodology for recalibrating the PDPM parity adjustment that would account for the potential effects of the COVID-19 PHE

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08/05/20

CMS Releases Hospital OPPS CY 2021 Proposed Rule

On August 4, 2020, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the calendar year (CY) 2021 proposed rule titled “Medicare Program: Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment and Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment Systems and Quality Reporting Programs; New Categories for Hospital Outpatient Department Prior Authorization Process; Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule: Laboratory Date of Service Policy; Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating Methodology; and Physician-owned Hospitals.“ Highlights of the proposed rule include: CMS is proposing to eliminate the Inpatient Only (IPO) list over a three-year transitional period with the list completely phased out by CY 2024 CMS is proposing to expand the

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08/03/20

CMS Releases CY 2021 Proposed Rule for Services Paid Under the MPFS

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has released the calendar year (CY) 2021 Proposed Rule for services paid under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS). This would include outpatient physical, occupational and speech therapy services provided in all settings (private practice (both therapist-owned and physician-owned, skilled nursing facilities doing Part B, comprehensive outpatient rehabilitation facilities, rehabilitation agencies, home health agencies providing Part B therapy services in the home and hospital outpatient therapy departments). This proposed rule would not apply to outpatient therapy services provided by critical access hospitals (CAHs) since CAHs are not reimbursed under the MPFS. Highlights

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06/25/20

CMS Releases CY 2021 Home Health Proposed Rule

On June 25, 2020, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released “Medicare and Medicaid Programs: CY 2021 Home Health Prospective Payment System Rate Update; Home Health Quality Reporting Requirements; and Home Infusion Therapy Services Requirements“. Per the summary, “This proposed rule would update the home health prospective payment system(HH PPS) payment rates and wage index for calendar year (CY) 2021. This proposed rule alsoproposes to make permanent the changes to the home health regulations regarding the use oftechnology in providing services under the Medicare home health benefit as described in theMedicare and Medicaid Programs; Revisions in Response to

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04/17/20

CMS Releases FY 2021 IRF Proposed Rule

On April 16, 2020, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the Fiscal year (FY) 2021 proposed rule for facilities under the Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility Prospective Payment System (IRF PPS). Highlights of the proposed rule include the following: In the FY 2021 IRF PPS proposed rule, CMS is proposing to allow non-physician practitioners to perform any of the IRF coverage service and documentation duties that are currently required to be performed by a rehabilitation physician, provided that the duties are within the non-physician practitioner’s scope of practice under applicable state law CMS is proposing to no longer require

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