New guidance on components of the Patient-Driven Payment Model were an added bonus to the fiscal 2020 final rule issued for Medicare participation.

The rule institutes an expected sub-regulatory process for classification of diseases and corresponding ICD-10 codes, such as when a prior code is split into two new codes. The new reporting will mimic standards already used by inpatient rehabilitation facilities.

Also, the group therapy definition for skilled nursing will soon follow the inpatient rehabilitation facility norm and cover sessions with groups of two to six patients.

The new rule, which the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced July 30, also institutes two new quality reporting measures designed to improve interoperability. These require providers to document transfer of health information to the provider, post-acute-care, and to document the transfer of health information to the patient, post-acute care.