My Cart - Monday, September 6, 2010
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Rule will cut Medicare reimbursement by an average of 1%
| Final Rule Will Cut Nursing Home Medicare Reimbursement | ||
 There is extremely disappointing news that the final rule issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on July 31 will recalibrate the nursing home Medicare payment system in ways that will reduce reimbursements by an average of one percent, beginning Oct. 1. The rule's impact on specific facilities will vary according to their case mix and location. You may use the AAHSA updated calculation tool to check the effect on your own facility. The rule assumes that nursing homes will receive a 2.2 percent market basket update for fiscal 2010 beginning on that date; otherwise the payment cut would be 3.3 percent or more, according to CMS. Nursing homes are in serious danger of losing the market basket update under health care reform legislation. We have no more recourse on the CMS rule, but we absolutely must persuade Congress not to cancel next year's payment update. Please Contact Congress and urge your legislators to preserve the Medicare payment update, which is due on Oct. 1. Contact your legislative representative by clicking on the link on the legislative committee page. |
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