Comments on Proposed Cost Reporting Instructions

CMS recently released new proposed Medicare cost reporting instructions, available for download here on the CMS website. Comments are due to CMS by July 22, and can be submitted electronically at this link. 

 

Please see Toyon’s comments on CMS’s proposed cost report instructions here. Additionally, to assist with comments to CMS, providers may download the Hospital | Health System template here. Please review all comments prior to submitting, and feel free to use some or all of the content in this letter. Providers may also amend the language to best articulate comments to CMS using hospital-specific examples, etc. 

 

Toyon comments on the following:

 

Worksheet S-10 UC DSH

Amongst other proposed revisions, CMS calls for providers to report Uncompensated Care (UC) costs for acute care services only (based on hospital Medicare provider number) on Worksheet S-10 Part II. Please note Section IV of the Hospital | Health System template requests CMS to omit this reporting requirement, as delineating Worksheet S-10 UC cost between acute care and sub-acute care adds another administrative burden to Worksheet S-10 reporting. Toyon acknowledges the reporting of acute care only for UC DSH payments may result in a shift in UC DSH payments for certain hospitals (depending on whether a DSH provider has material charity and bad debt related to subacute providers). Toyon is not commenting on a potential shift in payments, and only focuses on the additional administrative effort of collecting and reporting Worksheet S-10 data.   

 

Organ Acquisition Changes

Toyon is not commenting on CMS’s proposed changes related to Organ Acquisition reporting and reimbursement. Toyon agrees with CMS’s proposed changes, which were also included in the previous PRA package from November 2020. Listed below are CMS’s proposed changes related to Organ Acquisition. 

 

Worksheet A, Lines 78 and 102

CMS is adding lines 78 (CAR T-Cell Immunotherapy) and 102 (Opioid Treatment Program), which will require hospitals to create separate G/L departments to track these expenses and charges. Line 78 is used for reporting IPPS (D-3) and OPPS (D Part V) charges from the PS&R. Line 102 is informational only and is not included in the PS&R charges.

 

Worksheet D-6 series

This is a new form used to obtain cost-based reimbursement for allogeneic stem cell acquisition costs. CMS made several noteworthy updates to this form from the previous PRA in November 2020. First, there’s no longer a checkbox to include CAR T-Cell acquisition costs in this section which was to be reported for informational purposes only (see comment above for Worksheet A line 78).

 

Second, the Medicare reimbursement for allogeneic stem cell acquisition costs will now be based on the ratio of Medicare to total transplants, much like the methodology for solid organ. Previously, the form required only to include donor charges for Medicare recipients to determine the Medicare portion. Worksheet D-6 (Part I) now requires hospitals to capture donor charges for all payers. This methodology is a departure from the CMS comments in the FFY 2019 IPPS Final Rule, so CMS may issue a separate rule with comment period for this change.

 

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Please feel free to share questions to Fred Fisher, fred.fisher@toyonassociates.com. Specific to Organ Acquisition reimbursement, please contact Robert Howey at robert.howey@toyonassociates.com.