Continuing with numerous specific requests for comment in last year’s OPPS proposed rule, CMS is once again asking stakeholders for feedback on a variety of issues for the 2019 OPPS proposed rule for future potential rulemaking. You may submit comments to the agency until September 24, 2018.
CMS’ 2019 OPPS proposed rule, released in late July, continues the agency’s efforts to enforce site-neutral payments and reduce drug payments by introducing policies to reduce reimbursement for hospital outpatient clinic visits at off-campus, provider-based departments.
Along with quality measure removals in the 2018 OPPS and MPFS final rules, CMS has continued to propose additional removals in the 2019 proposed rules. In addition, the agency is proposing to add to its ability to remove quality measures in the future.
CMS did not propose any new comprehensive APCs (C-APC) last year, taking a rare year off, but it did introduced three new C-APCs in the 2019 OPPS proposed rule, released in late July.
CMS’ 2019 OPPS proposed rule continues the agency’s efforts to enforce site-neutral payments and reduce drug payments by introducing policies to reduce reimbursement for hospital outpatient clinic visits at off-campus, provider-based departments (PBD) and expanding last year’s payment reductions for drugs purchased under the 340B discount pricing program by nonexcepted PBDs.
The fiscal year (FY) 2019 ICD-10-CM code update, released on June 11, includes 279 code additions, 143 revisions, and 51 invalidations. The number of changes is significantly less than the past two years, which makes me think we are getting back to the “norm” of expected yearly changes.
