News: CMS finalizes 2017 outpatient-service payment rules

The pay regulations for 2017 are expected to increase Medicare payments to hospitals for outpatient services by 1.7%, according to details about the 2017 Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) final rule, which also finalizes changes to the Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) Payment System. The final rule includes new Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) rates for items and services rendered to Medicare beneficiaries at off-campus outpatient departments owned by hospitals. Once all of the outpatient payment rule changes announced Tuesday are accounted for, CMS estimates next year's Medicare payments to hospitals for outpatient services will be slightly higher than 1.65%. That is "before taking into account changes in volume and case mix" for hospitals paid under the OPPS, the fact sheet says.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published by HealthLeaders Media.