Articles and Blogs

On August 15, 2017, CMS released for public inspection a proposed rule that would: Cancel the AMI, CABG and SHFFT episode payment models that are currently scheduled to begin on January 1, 2018. Cancel the cardiac rehabilitation incentive payment program that is currently scheduled to begin on January 1, 2018. Revise various aspects of... READ MORE

On May 18, 2017, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) published a final rule (the “Final Rule”) effectively postponing the start date of CMS’s new episode payment models (“EPMs”) and the Cardiac Rehabilitation Incentive Payment Model (“CR Incentive Model”) from July 1, 2017 until January 1, 2018. The Final Rule also delayed... READ MORE

On March 20, 2017, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) published an interim final rule (the “Interim Final Rule“) effectively postponing the start date of CMS’s new episode payment models (“EPMs”) and the Cardiac Rehabilitation Incentive Payment Model (“CR Incentive Model”) from July 1, 2017 until October 1, 2017. The Interim Final... READ MORE

On December 20, 2016, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) published a Final Rule that included several changes to the recently implemented Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement (“CJR”) program. The CJR Model is a retrospective bundled payment program limited to lower extremity joint replacement (“LEJR”) procedures and is designed to encourage hospitals... READ MORE

Background On December 20, 2016, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) published a final rule (the “Final Rule”)1 creating three new episode payment models (“EPMs”) covering services provided to Medicare beneficiaries admitted to certain Inpatient Prospective Payment System (“IPPS”) hospitals for heart attacks, coronary bypass surgery or surgical treatment of hip or... READ MORE

The supply chain continues to be the second largest and fastest growing expense for health care systems, second only to labor costs, making this an area of untapped cost savings opportunity and an area ripe for leveraging supply chain as a strategic driver of savings. Because the procurement of goods and services impacts nearly... READ MORE