Last week the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission met in Washington, D.C. to discuss a number of Medicare payment issues.
The issues on MedPAC’s April agenda were:
- Expanding the use of value-based payment in Medicare
- Medicare Shared Savings Program performance
- Redesigning the Medicare Advantage quality bonus program
- Increasing the accuracy and completeness of Medicare Advantage encounter data
- Evaluating patient functional assessment data reported by post-acute-care providers
- Options for slowing the growth of Medicare fee-for-service spending for emergency department services
- Options to increase the affordability of specialty drugs and biologics in Medicare Part D
- Improving payment for low-volume and isolated outpatient dialysis facilities
Many of these issues are important to private safety-net hospitals.
MedPAC is an independent congressional agency that advises Congress on issues involving the Medicare program. While its recommendations are not binding on either Congress or the administration, MedPAC is highly influential in governing circles and its recommendations often find their way into legislation, regulations, and new public policy.
Go here for links to the policy briefs and presentations that supported MedPAC’s discussion of these issues.
