Market basket increases payments by 2.5% in 2009
Hospices serving Medicare beneficiaries will see a 2.5% increase in their payments for 2009, according to a final regulation published by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The increase in the hospice wage index is the net result of a 3.6% increase in the "market basket" indicator of cost, offset by a 1.1% decrease in payments to hospices as CMS phases out a transitional payment to these providers.
As published in the Federal Register on July 31, CMS is phasing out an adjustment to the hospice wage index that was put into place more than 10 years ago to help hospices through a transition to the new wage index. CMS estimates that payments to hospices will decrease by about 1.1% for FY 2009, the first year of the three-year phase-out of the adjustment.
To see a copy of the final regulation, go to the CMS Hospice web page at: www.cms.hhs.gov/center/hospice.asp and click on "CMS-1548-F" to link to the document.
Hospices serving Medicare beneficiaries will see a 2.5% increase in their payments for 2009, according to a final regulation published by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).You have reached your article limit for the month. Subscribe now to access this article plus other member-only content.
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