Increased pay for SNFs but no help with HIT
A proposed rule would increase Medicare payments to skilled nursing facilities and encourages the providers to "utilize health information exchange and certified health IT."
While the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) noted in the rule the importance of SNFs to adopt and use health IT tools, it reiterated that these providers are not eligible for Meaningful Use. The agency also doesn't include assistance or requirements in the proposed rule.
The rule would increase Medicare payments to SNFs by 1.4 percent, or $500 million, in fiscal year 2016. In line with efforts to shift the healthcare system to a value-based reimbursement model, the rule also calls for a similar system to be implemented for SNFs, with quality metrics affecting reimbursements beginning in fiscal year 2018.
Aggregate data from a SNF value-based payment program would be published to the Nursing Home Compare website, including performance scores and incentive payments, according to the rule. CMS said it would seek pubic comment to determine such factors as how performance data should be displayed, whether SNFs should be ableto review and correct information on the site and how such a review process would work.
Public comments on the proposed rule are due by June 15.
Editor
Editor Beth earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and master’s in health communication. She has worked in hospital, academic and publishing settings over the past 20 years. Beth joined TriMed in 2005, as editor of CMIO and Clinical Innovation + Technology. When not covering all things related to health IT, she spends time with her husband and three children.