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Tag: CMS

FFY 2024 IPPS Proposed Rule – Empirical DSH

On April 10, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published the FFY 2024 IPPS Proposed Rule (effective for discharges on or after October 1, 2023).” Toyon is pleased to provide our summary of:  Topic 4 – FFY 2024 IPPS Proposed Rule – Empirical DSH
 
Section 1115 Demonstration Days 
Although not in the FFY 2024 IPPS Proposed Rule, earlier this year CMS proposed4 changes to regulations on the inclusion of certain Section 1115 demonstration days in the Medicaid fraction of the empirical DSH calculation. If adopted, CMS’s changes would be effective for discharges occurring on or after October 1, 2023 (FFY 2024).   
 
CMS proposes allowable 1115 demonstration days include patient days from:  
  • Patients who receive health insurance authorized by a section 1115 demonstration, or 
  • Patients who buy health insurance with premium assistance provided to them under a section 1115 demonstration, where State expenditures to provide the health insurance or premium assistance is matched with funds from title XIX.  
 
Section 1115 demonstration days are allowable whereby a patient is not entitled to Medicare Part A benefits and 1) their health insurance covers inpatient hospital services; or (2) premium assistance covers 100 percent of the premium cost to the patient, which the patient uses to buy health insurance that covers inpatient hospital services.  
 
CMS also proposes that days are to be excluded for patients whose inpatient hospital costs are paid for with funds from an uncompensated/undercompensated care pool authorized by a Section 1115 demonstration. CMS states these patients are not regarded as “eligible for Medicaid.” 
 
Capital DSH for Rural Reclassified Providers  
Due to recent court decisions (Toledo Hospital v. Becerra, the U.S. District Court), CMS proposes DSH hospitals reclassified as rural under 42 CFR § 412.103 will be eligible to receive capital DSH payments. This proposal is effective for discharges on or after October 1, 2023 (FFY 2024). 
 
Toyon’s Take 
Providers are encouraged to review their respective State’s section 1115 demonstration program to determine if any cohort of beneficiaries meet CMS’s new proposed criteria for inclusion in the Medicaid fraction of the empirical DSH calculation. CMS notes the following seven states whereby patient days would qualify in the DSH calculation (as these states provide benefits that are 100% of the premium cost to the patients): 
  1. Arkansas 
  2. Massachusetts 
  3. Oklahoma 
  4. Rhode Island 
  5. Tennessee 
  6. Utah 
  7. Vermont 
 
For more information, please contact Dylan Chinea at dylan.chinea@toyonassociates.com
4 Federal Register /Vol. 88, No. 39 /Tuesday, February 28, 2023 / Proposed Rules Medicare Program; Medicare Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) Payments: Counting Certain Days Associated With Section 1115 Demonstrations in the Medicaid Fraction (42 CFR Part 412).
Comments are due to CMS by Friday, June 9 via https://www.regulations.gov/ (see instructions under the “submit a comment” tab and reference file code “CMS-1785-P”). Toyon will share our comment letter in the coming weeks. 
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FFY 2024 IPPS Proposed Rule – Graduate Medical Education (GME)

On April 10, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published the FFY 2024 IPPS Proposed Rule (effective for discharges on or after October 1, 2023).” Toyon is pleased to provide our summary of:  Topic 7 – FFY 2024 IPPS Proposed Rule – Graduate Medical Education (GME) for CYs 2010-2019

Medicare Advantage Allied Health Payments 
In response to Section 4143 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (CAA, 2023), CMS published the recalculated Nursing and Allied Health Education Payment Pools for Medicare Advantage (MA) funding for calendar years 2010 through 2019 only (see Table 6 below). MACs are instructed to initiate the revised payments for hospitals’ eligible cost reporting years. The eligibility criteria include that 1) a hospital’s cost report is within the three-year reopening period as of 12/29/20228 and 2) the Allied Health program(s) were in operation as of 12/29/2022. In addition, this change does not affect the percent reduction to MA GME funding (i.e., there are no changes to the DGME MA percent reduction amounts9). For CY 2020 and subsequent years, the MA Nursing and Allied Health Education Payment pool reverts back to the original $60 million. 
9 As specified in Change Request (CR) 11642 for CYs 2010 through 2017, CR 11642 for CY 2018, and CR 12407 for CY 2019. 
 
Comments are due to CMS by Friday, June 9 via https://www.regulations.gov/ (see instructions under the “submit a comment” tab and reference file code “CMS-1785-P”). Toyon will share our comment letter in the coming weeks. 

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FFY 2024 IPPS Proposed Rule -Low-Volume Adjustment

On April 10, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published the FFY 2024 IPPS Proposed Rule (effective for discharges on or after October 1, 2023).” Toyon is pleased to provide our summary of:  Topic 8 – FFY 2024 IPPS Proposed Rule – Low-Volume Adjustment

As extended through FFY 2024 by Section 4101 of the 2023 CAA, CMS provides the criteria for hospitals to qualify for the additional low-volume payment: 
  • More than 15 road miles from another subsection (d) hospital; and 
  • Most recently submitted cost report documents less than 3,800 total discharges (whereby hospitals with less than 500 total discharges receiving the maximum 25% adjustment) 
To receive the additional payment for the full fiscal year, providers have until September 1, 2023, to make a written request for low-volume status to their MAC and demonstrate that it meets the criteria for low-volume status. For requests received after September 1, the adjustment is effective prospectively within 30 days of the MAC’s low-volume status determination. This is an annual election that is not automatically updated, even if approved for FFY 2023.
 
For more information, please contact Robert Howey at robert.howey@toyonassociates.com

Comments are due to CMS by Friday, June 9 via https://www.regulations.gov/ (see instructions under the “submit a comment” tab and reference file code “CMS-1785-P”). Toyon will share our comment letter in the coming weeks. 

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