CMS Will Tie Medicare FFS Inpatient Hospital Pay To MA-Negotiated Rates

CMS on Wednesday (Sept. 2) finalized plans to tie Medicare Advantage plans’ negotiated pay rates for hospital inpatient care to Medicare’s fee-for-service inpatient payment rates starting in fiscal 2024, though the agency backed off the idea of tying all third-party payer rates to what Medicare will pay for inpatient hospital care. The final inpatient hospital rule for fiscal 2021, released Wednesday with a waiver allowing CMS to implement it less than 60-days after its release due to the coronavirus pandemic,...