2003 Medicare Outpatient
Proposed Rule Published
August 9, 2002- On Aug. 9 the Centers for Medicare
and Medicaid Services (CMS) published the Medicare outpatient
prospective payment system (OPPS) proposed
rule for calendar year 2003. The OPPS affects only hospital,
not physician, Medicare payments in the outpatient setting.
Under the proposed rule, the base OPPS payment rate will
be increased by 3.5 percent, which reflects the current law
requirement that the update equal the full increase in the
hospital market basket. The proposed rule also revises and
updates the payment rates for individual ambulatory payment
classifications (APCs), the payment units for the OPPS. For
the first time, the APC rates are being set based on claims
data submitted by hospitals under the OPPS, rather than the
previous system. The rule also includes a proposed method
for incorporating into the 2003 APC rates the costs of certain
drugs and devices that currently are being paid under a cost-based,
transitional pass-through payment methodology.
Comments on the proposed rule are due Oct 9.
Information:
Karen Fisher, Sr. Director, Health Care Affairs
AAMC Health Care Affairs
kfisher@aamc.org
(202) 862-6140
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