Under the House healthcare reform package, Medicare
payments to skilled nursing facilities would grow slowly, according to a Congressional Research Service report released the day
before the bill's passage.
The House legislation would subject skilled nursing
facility market-basket updates to a "productivity adjustment,"
significantly slowing an increase in payments. The combination of the productivity
adjustment and a proposed elimination in the market basket for the final three
quarters of fiscal year 2010 would result in a reduction in Medicare of $23.9
billion over 10 years, according to the American Health Care Association. The
bill would also require Medicare to change its policy regarding non-therapy
ancillary services, such as medical equipment and IV therapy, to make reimbursements
budget neutral. The House passed the bill on Saturday.
Other Medicare changes include reductions in skilled
nursing payments for patients who are readmitted within 30 days and a
post-acute care payment bundling demonstration project. More information on the
report, which highlights other changes in Medicare payment policy under H.R. 3962, can be found at www.opencrs.com.