Medicare advisors urge Congress against an episode-based payment system for post-acute care
McKnight's March 12, 2019
If Medicare is to move to a unified payment system across all post-acute providers, those payouts should not be based on an entire episode of care.
That’s the latest news from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, which advises Congress about the federal program. MedPAC has been exploring whether the feds should implement one payment system across post-acute providers — including skilled nursing facilities, home health, long-term care hospitals and inpatient rehab facilities — which vary widely in how they are paid.
MedPAC members are now leaning toward a stay-based system, rather than one tied to the whole episode of care, amid worries that the latter would encourage providers to discharge patients early.
“Our analysis indicated that an episode-based payment design...