CMS finalized plans increasing hospital fines for not complying with price transparency requirements, halting the end of the Medicare inpatient-only list and furthering some flexibilities for telehealth services, Healthcare Dive reports.
More directly regarding payment rates, the agency included a reduction in the Medicare conversion factor of about 3.85%, although some analysts said it is likely Congress will reverse the change. The American Medical Association called for such action on the Hill, noting the cut “comes at a time when physician practices are still recovering the personal and financial impacts of the COVID public health emergency.” Read more.
