August 4, 2020 / by Robert King
The Trump administration aims to increase Medicare payment rates for outpatient hospital departments and ambulatory surgical centers by 2.6% and doubles down on a nearly 30% cut to the 340B payment program.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released the proposed hospital outpatient payment rule for the 2021 coverage year, outlining payment rates for ambulatory surgical centers and hospital outpatient departments.
The agency proposes a 28.7% cut to drugs acquired by safety-net hospitals under the 340B drug discount program.
CMS has previously proposed the cuts back in 2018, sparking a legal battle with hospital groups.
A federal appeals court ruled last Friday that the agency had the authority to install the cuts.
