Due to the coronavirus pandemic, MedPAC’s December 2021 public meeting was held virtually via video conference on the GoToWebinar platform.
Agenda
12/09/2021 . 11:30 am - 1:00 pm
Assessing payment adequacy and updating payments: Hospital inpatient and outpatient services; and Mandated report on Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 changes to the low-volume hospital payment adjustment
Staff Contacts:
ISSUE: By law, each year the Commission reviews Medicare’s fee-for-service payment policies and makes payment update recommendations. For our March 2022 Report to the Congress, we consider whether Medicare payments to hospitals are adequate and how they should be updated in 2023. In 2022, the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 requires the Commission also report on the impact of changes to the low-volume hospital (LVH) payment adjustment.
KEY POINTS: We examine beneficiaries’ access to hospital care, quality of care, hospitals’ access to capital, and the relationship between Medicare’s payments and hospitals’ costs. Pursuant to the statutory mandate, we also examine the effect of changes to the LVH payment adjustment.
ACTION: Commissioners will review and discuss the findings.
12/09/2021 . 1:45 pm - 3:15 pm
Assessing payment adequacy and updating payments: Physician and other health professional services
Staff Contacts:
ISSUE: By law, each year the Commission reviews Medicare’s fee-for-service payment policies and makes payment update recommendations. For our March 2022 Report to the Congress, we consider whether Medicare payments to physicians and other health professionals are adequate and how they should be updated in 2023.
KEY POINTS: We examine beneficiaries’ access to clinician care, the quality of care, and Medicare payments and providers’ costs.
ACTION: Commissioners will review and discuss the findings.
12/09/2021 . 3:15 pm - 4:00 pm
Assessing payment adequacy and updating payments: Ambulatory surgical center services
Staff Contacts:
ISSUE: By law, each year the Commission reviews Medicare’s fee-for-service payment policies and makes recommendations. For our March 2022 Report to the Congress, we consider whether Medicare payments to ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs) are adequate and how they should be updated in 2023.
KEY POINTS: We examine beneficiaries’ access to ASC services, quality of care, ASCs’ access to capital, and changes in ASC revenue from the Medicare program.
ACTION: Commissioners will review and discuss the findings.
12/09/2021 . 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Assessing payment adequacy and updating payments: Outpatient dialysis services
Staff Contacts:
ISSUE: By law, each year the Commission reviews Medicare’s fee-for-service payment policies and makes recommendations. For our March 2022 Report to the Congress, we consider whether Medicare payments for outpatient dialysis services are adequate and how they should be updated in 2023.
KEY POINTS: We examine beneficiaries’ access to dialysis services, quality of care, facilities’ access to capital, and the relationship between Medicare’s payments and facilities’ costs.
ACTION: Commissioners will review and discuss the findings.
12/09/2021 . 5:00 pm - 5:45 pm
Assessing payment adequacy and updating payments: Hospice services
Staff Contacts:
ISSUE: By law, each year the Commission reviews Medicare’s fee-for-service payment policies and makes recommendations. For our March 2022 Report to the Congress, we consider whether Medicare payments for hospice services are adequate and how they should be updated in 2023.
KEY POINTS: We examine beneficiaries’ access to hospice care, quality of care, hospices’ access to capital, and the relationship between Medicare’s payments and hospices’ costs.
ACTION: Commissioners will review and discuss the findings.
12/10/2021 . 10:00 am - 11:00 am
Assessing payment adequacy and updating payments: Skilled nursing facility services
Staff Contacts:
ISSUE: By law, each year the Commission reviews Medicare’s fee-for-service payment policies and makes payment update recommendations. For our March 2022 Report to the Congress, we consider whether Medicare payments to skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) are adequate and how they should be updated in 2023.
KEY POINTS: We examine beneficiaries’ access to SNF care, quality of care, SNFs’ access to capital, and the relationship between Medicare’s payments and SNFs’ costs.
ACTION: Commissioners will review and discuss the findings.
12/10/2021 . 11:00 am - 12:15 pm
Assessing payment adequacy and updating payments: Home health care services; and Mandated report on Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 changes to the home health payment system
Staff Contacts:
ISSUE: By law, each year the Commission reviews Medicare’s fee-for-service payment policies and makes payment update recommendations. For our March 2022 Report to the Congress, we consider whether Medicare payments to home health agencies (HHAs) are adequate and how they should be updated in 2023. In 2022, the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (BBA 2018) requires that the Commission also review the impact of two statutory changes to the home health payment system, implemented by CMS in 2020, on quality, cost, and utilization.
KEY POINTS: We evaluate several factors to determine the adequacy of Medicare’s payments for home health services and the impact of the BBA 2018 changes, including access to home health care, quality of care, HHAs’ access to capital, and the relationship between Medicare payments and HHAs’ costs.
ACTION: The Commissioners will review and discuss the findings.
12/10/2021 . 1:00 pm - 1:45 pm
Assessing payment adequacy and updating payments: Inpatient rehabilitation facility services
Staff Contacts:
ISSUE: By law, each year the Commission reviews Medicare’s fee-for-service payment policies and makes payment update recommendations. For our March 2022 Report to the Congress, we consider whether payments to inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs) are adequate and how they should be updated in 2023.
KEY POINTS: We examine beneficiaries’ access to IRF care, quality of care, IRFs’ access to capital, and the relationship between Medicare’s payments and IRFs’ costs.
ACTION: Commissioners will review and discuss the findings.
12/10/2021 . 1:45 pm - 2:30 pm
Assessing payment adequacy and updating payments: Long-term care hospital services
Staff Contacts:
ISSUE: By law, each year the Commission reviews Medicare’s fee-for-service payment policies and makes recommendations. For our March 2022 Report to the Congress, we consider whether Medicare payments to long-term care hospitals (LTCHs) are adequate and how they should be updated in 2023.
KEY POINTS: We examine beneficiaries’ access to LTCH care, quality of care, LTCHs’ access to capital, and the relationship between Medicare’s payments and LTCHs’ costs.
ACTION: Commissioners will review and discuss the findings.