1. Final Rule 1390-P
Title: Medicare Program; Proposed Changes to the Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems and Fiscal Year 2009 Rates; Proposed Changes to Disclosure of Physician Ownership in Hospitals and Physician Self-Referral Rules; Proposed Collection of Information Regarding Financial Relationships Between Hospitals and Physicians; Proposed Rule
Publication Date: 04/30/2008
Description: We are proposing to revise the Medicare hospital inpatient prospective payment systems (IPPS) for operating and capital-related costs to implement changes arising from our continuing experience with these systems, and to implement certain provisions made by the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, the Medicare Improvements and Extension Act, Division B, Title I of the Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006, and the TMA, Abstinence Education, and QI Programs Extension Act of 2007. In addition, in the Addendum to this proposed rule, we describe the proposed changes to the amounts and factors used to determine the rates for Medicare hospital inpatient services for operating costs and capital-related costs. These proposed changes would be applicable to discharges occurring on or after October 1, 2008. We also are setting forth the proposed update to the rate-of-increase limits for certain hospitals and hospital units excluded from the IPPS that are paid on a reasonable cost basis subject to these limits. The proposed updated rate-of-increase limits would be effective for cost reporting periods beginning on or after October 1, 2008.
Among the other policy decisions and changes that we are proposing to make are changes related to: Limited proposed revisions of the classification of cases to Medicare severity diagnosis-related groups (MS-DRGs), proposals to address charge compression issues in the calculation of MS-DRG relative weights, the proposed revisions to the classifications and relative weights for the Medicare severity long- term care diagnosis-related groups (MS-LTC-DRGs); applications for new medical services and technologies add-on payments; wage index reform changes and the wage data, including the occupational mix data, used to compute the proposed FY 2009 wage indices; submission of hospital quality data; proposed changes to the postacute care transfer policy relating to transfers to home for the furnishing of home health services; and proposed policy changes relating to the requirements for furnishing hospital emergency services under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act of 1986 (EMTALA).
In addition, we are proposing policy changes relating to disclosure to patients of physician ownership or investment interests in hospitals and soliciting public comments on a proposed collection of information regarding financial relationships between hospitals and physicians. We are also proposing changes or soliciting comments on issues relating to policies on physician self-referrals.
2. Final Rule 1390-F
Title: Medicare Program; Changes to the Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems and Fiscal Year 2009 Rates; Payments for Graduate Medical Education in Certain Emergency Situations; Changes to Disclosure of Physician Ownership in Hospitals and Physician Self-Referral Rules; Updates to the Long-Term Care Prospective Payment System; Updates to Certain IPPS-Excluded Hospitals; and Collection of Information Regarding Financial Relationships Between Hospitals; Final Rule
Publication Date: 08/19/2008
Description: We are revising the Medicare hospital inpatient prospective payment systems (IPPS) for operating and capital-related costs to implement changes arising from our continuing experience with these systems, and to implement certain provisions made by the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, the Medicare Improvements and Extension Act, Division B, Title I of the Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006, the TMA, Abstinence Education, and QI Programs Extension Act of 2007, and the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008. In addition, in the Addendum to this final rule, we describe the changes to the amounts and factors used to determine the rates for Medicare hospital inpatient services for operating costs and capital-related costs. These changes are generally applicable to discharges occurring on or after October 1, 2008. We also are setting forth the update to the rate-of-increase limits for certain hospitals and hospital units excluded from the IPPS that are paid on a reasonable cost basis subject to these limits. The updated rate-of-increase limits are effective for cost reporting periods beginning on or after October 1, 2008.
In addition to the changes for hospitals paid under the IPPS, this document contains revisions to the patient classifications and relative weights used under the long-term care hospital prospective payment system (LTCH PPS). This document also contains policy changes relating to the requirements for furnishing hospital emergency services under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act of 1986 (EMTALA). In this document, we are responding to public comments and finalizing the policies contained in two interim final rules relating to payments for Medicare graduate medical education to affiliated teaching hospitals in certain emergency situations.
We are revising the regulatory requirements relating to disclosure to patients of physician ownership or investment interests in hospitals and responding to public comments on a collection of information regarding financial relationships between hospitals and physicians. In addition, we are responding to public comments on proposals made in two separate rulemakings related to policies on physician self-referrals and finalizing these policies.
3. Notice 1390-N
Title: Medicare Program; Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems and Fiscal Year 2009 Rates: Final Fiscal Year 2009 Wage Indices and Payment Rates Including Implementation of Section 124 of the Medicare Improvement for Patients and Providers Act of 2008; Notice
Publication Date: 10/03/2008
Description: This notice contains tables listing the final wage indices, hospital reclassifications, payment rates, impacts, and other related tables effective for fiscal year (FY) 2009. The tables and impacts included in this notice reflect the extension of the expiration date for certain geographic reclassifications and special exception wage indices as required by section 124 of the Medicare Improvement for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 (MIPPA), Public Law 110-275. These geographic reclassifications and special exception wage indices were previously set to expire on September 30, 2008 and are now extended through September 30, 2009. (Additionally, the final rates, wage indices, budget neutrality factors and tables included in this notice also reflect a correction made to the wage data for one hospital, as discussed in the correction notice for the FY 2009 IPPS final rule published elsewhere within this Federal Register.)
4. Correction Notice 1390-CN
Title: Medicare Program; Changes to the Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems and Fiscal Year 2009 Rates; Payments for Graduate Medical Education in Certain Emergency Situations; Changes to Disclosure of Physician Ownership in Hospitals and Physician Self-Referral Rules; Updates to the Long-Term Care Prospective Payment System; Updates to Certain IPPS-Excluded Hospitals; and Collection of Information Regarding Financial Relationships Between Hospitals; Correction
Publication Date: 10/03/2008
Description: This document corrects technical and typographical errors that appeared in the final rule published in the Federal Register on August 19, 2008 entitled "Medicare Program; Changes to the Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems and Fiscal Year 2009 Rates; Payments for Graduate Medical Education in Certain Emergency Situations; Changes to Disclosure of Physician Ownership in Hospitals and Physician Self-Referral Rules; Updates to the Long-Term Care Prospective Payment System; Updates to Certain IPPS-Excluded Hospitals; and Collection of Information Regarding Financial Relationships Between Hospitals."
5. Notice Two: 1390-N2
Title: Medicare Program; Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems and Fiscal Year 2009 Rates: Fiscal Year 2009 Wage Index Changes Following Implementation of Section 124 of the Medicare Improvement for Patients and Providers Act of 2008
Publication Date: 12/03/2008
Description: This notice contains fiscal year (FY) 2009 revised final wage indices and hospital reclassifications for 27 hospitals. These revised final wage indices and hospital reclassifications were made according to special procedural rules set forth in the FY 2009 hospital inpatient prospective payment systems final rule (73 FR 48588-9).
6. Correction Notice Two 1390-CN2
Title: Medicare Program; Changes to the Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems and Fiscal Year 2009 Rates; Payments for Graduate Medical Education in Certain Emergency Situations; Changes to Disclosure of Physician Ownership in Hospitals and Physician Self-Referral Rules; Updates to the Long-Term Care Prospective Payment System; Updates to Certain IPPS-Excluded Hospitals; and Collection of Information Regarding Financial Relationships Between Hospitals; Correction
Publication Date: 12/30/2008
Description: This document corrects errors that appeared in the correction notice published in the October 3, 2008 Federal Register entitled ``Medicare Program; Changes to the Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems and Fiscal Year 2009 Rates; Payments for Graduate Medical Education in Certain Emergency Situations; Changes to Disclosure of Physician Ownership in Hospitals and Physician Self-Referral Rules; Updates to the Long-Term Care Prospective Payment System; Updates to Certain IPPS-Excluded Hospitals; and Collection of Information Regarding Financial Relationships Between Hospitals; Correction.''