CY 2017 OPPS/ASC PPS Proposed Rule On Display, Hospital VBP Program Proposal
On July 6, 2016, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the Calendar Year (CY) 2017 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and Ambulatory Surgical Center Prospective Payment System (ASC PPS) policy changes, quality provisions, and payment rates proposed rule (CMS-1656-P). CMS is proposing a number of outpatient prospective payment policies that will improve the quality of care Medicare patients receive through its various proposals.
In addition, CMS has listened to concerns raised by health care providers on the patient experience survey questions about pain management and is proposing to temporarily remove the pain management dimension of the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey for purposes of the Hospital Value-Based Purchasing (VBP) Program, beginning with the Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 program year. Other Hospital VBP Program requirements will be set forth in an upcoming FY 2017 Inpatient Prospective Payment System / Long Term Care Hospital (IPPS/LTCH) PPS Final Rule to be issued on or around August 1, 2016.
You may access the CY 2017 OPPS/ASC PPS Proposed Rule here: https://s3.amazonaws.com/public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2016-16098.pdf (direct link), or at the following web address by clicking on the PDF file: https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Medicare-Fee-for-Service-Payment/HospitalOutpatientPPS/Hospital-Outpatient-Regulations-and-Notices-Items/CMS-1656-P.html?DLPage=1&DLEntries=10&DLSort=2&DLSortDir=descending. Comments on specific issues in the regulation may be submitted electronically at this web address by clicking the Submit a Formal Comment button or by accessing https://www.regulations.gov.
CMS will accept comments on the CY 2017 OPPS/ASC PPS Proposed Rule until September 6, 2016, and will respond to comments in a Final Rule to be issued on or around November 1, 2016.
