On April 27, CMS issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) for the skilled nursing facility (SNF) prospective payment system (PPS) fiscal year 2018 update.  CMS also issued a call for comments from SNFs regarding potential revisions to the SNF payment system.

Under the PPS NPRM, the agency proposes an increase in federal payments to skilled nursing facilities for 2018. Starting on October 1, 2017, skilled nursing providers will receive a 1.0 percent increase in payments.  It is the highest amount providers could receive under current law.  A recording of an AHCA webinar that provides an overview of the PPS proposal is now available for members only. (Please note that an ahcancalED log-in is required to hear this recording.)

Also included in the proposed rule is a section on Medicare innovation.  CMS specifically invites the SNF profession to bring ideas to the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) to be tested under the Innovation Center’s demonstration authority. In the proposal, CMS suggests the 3-day stay requirement as a possibility for a demonstration as well as payment ideas.  AHCA will host a webinar on May 17 on the reform measures. 

AHCA Webinar: Overview of CMS Proposed Medicare Payment Reform
May 17, 2017 | 1:30 pm

Mark Parkinson, President & CEO of AHCA, Mike Cheek, Senior Vice President for Reimbursement for AHCA, and Mary Ousley, Chair of the AHCA Quality Cabinet, will provide an overview of the proposed Medicare payment reform CMS included in their April 27 pre-rule. The pre-rule solicited comments on potential revisions to the SNF payment system.