Southwest Consulting Associates Blog

We are now in the midst of Federal fiscal year (FFY) 2020 which began at the start of this month. A new Federal fiscal year brings with it new standardized rates that affect hospital discharges on or after October 1, 2019. Each year, CMS publishes updates to the regulations for inflation factors, wage adjustments, etc., which for the current FFY, can be found in the 2020 Inpatient Acute (IPPS) final rule on the CMS website. It is important to note that CMS published a correction notice on October 8, 2019, in which standardized rate values were revised and now differ from what was published in the August version of the final rule.

 

Topics: Industry Updates, regulations, final rule, ipps rule, provider reimbursement

The 2020 Hospice Final Rule was published in the Federal Register August 6, 2019, and will affect hospital discharges on or after October 1, 2019. Each year, CMS publishes updates to the regulations for inflation factors, wage adjustments, etc. For FY 2020, CMS has updated the following Hospice rates which are contained in the final rule:

Topics: Industry Updates, regulations, final rule, hospice

As you will recall from the FY 2019 IPPS final rule-making cycle, CMS issued new requirements for supporting documentation that must be submitted along with the Medicare cost report.  While that final rule was posted a little over a year ago, hospitals will soon be in the midst of filing the first affected cost reports. The new Medicare cost report supporting documentation is required for cost reporting periods beginning on or after October 1, 2018.

Topics: DSH Reimbursement, Medicare DSH Reimbursement, Industry Updates, S-10, regulations, final rule, worksheet s-10, Medicare Cost Report

The 2020 Inpatient Skilled Nursing Facility Final Rule was published in the Federal Register August 7, 2019. The rule can be found through the CMS website or you can view the Federal Register version here. This SNF rule affects discharges on or after October 1, 2019. 

Topics: Industry Updates, regulations, final rule, provider reimbursement, inpatient SNF

The 2020 Inpatient Rehab Final Rule was published in the Federal Register August 8, 2019, and will affect discharges on or after October 1, 2019. The 2020 Rehab (IRF) Final Rule can be viewed here.

 

Each year, CMS publishes updates to the regulations for inflation factors, wage adjustments, etc. and for FFY 2020, CMS has finalized the following updates to the Rehab rates:

 

 

Topics: Industry Updates, regulations, final rule, provider reimbursement, inpatient rehab

The FY 2020 Inpatient Psych Final Rule was put on display for public inspection on July 30, 2019, and was published in the Federal Register August 6, 2019. The FY 2020 Psych Final Rule can be viewed here. As a reminder, this IPF rule affects discharges on or after October 1, 2019.

Topics: Industry Updates, regulations, final rule, provider reimbursement, inpatient psych

Last Fall, CMS made updates to the cost reporting software and the rules for filing a hospital Medicare cost report.  Additionally, there were new and noteworthy changes included in the FY 2019 IPPS Final Rule.  Specifically, the FY 2019 Final IPPS rule included new requirements for cost reports submissions with periods beginning on or after 10/1/2018.  Providers must now submit both Worksheet S-10 and Medicare DSH patient level detail along with their cost report submissions.  

Topics: Medicare DSH Reimbursement, Industry Updates, S-10, final rule, worksheet s-10, cost reporting, Medicare Cost Report

Southwest Consulting Associates was featured in the latest issue of the Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council's Interlocutor magazine.  Beginning on page 24, Kyle Pennington reviews the FY 2019 IPPS rule, the inaugural audits of Medicare cost report Worksheet S-10 data and what's coming up next for hospital providers and their reimbursement teams. 

Topics: S-10, final rule, worksheet s-10, Medicare Cost Report, S-10 audit, ipps rule

The Fall 2018 issue of HFMA New Jersey's Garden State FOCUS magazine included an article titled, "FY 2019 IPPS Final Rule Update: Worksheet S-10 Is Here To Stay" which takes a look at:

Topics: Medicare DSH Reimbursement, S-10, regulations, final rule, worksheet s-10

As we all now know, CMS proposed transitioning to the use of uncompensated care cost per worksheet S-10 in the IPPS 2017 rulemaking cycle. For many reasons that we have discussed in the past and that CMS reiterated in the last rulemaking cycle, that plan was not finalized. And although many people were left thinking that CMS was going to make some reforms to the definitions and reporting processes before going forward, they did leave the door open just a bit last year with regarding to moving forward with the change to S-10 in FY 2018. As we now know, they chose to squeeze through that opening and have finalized plans to begin the transition to using worksheet S-10 beginning in FY 2018. As overall justification, CMS stated:

Topics: DSH Reimbursement, Medicare DSH Reimbursement, S-10, regulations, final rule, worksheet s-10, factor 3