The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) proposed rule for fiscal year (FY) 2013 on April 24, 2011. The proposed rule addresses changes in payment rates for acute care and long-term care hospitals effective October 1, 2012, as well as revisions to the Hospital Value-Based Purchasing Program and hospital quality measure programs as required by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. CMS proposes to increase Medicare payments to acute care hospitals by 2.3 percent in FY 2013 and to increase payments to long-term care hospitals by 1.9 percent. Total payments to these hospitals would exceed $12.8 billion in FY 2013.
The proposed rule will be published in the Federal Register on May 11, 2012, and CMS will accept comments on it until June 25, 2012. The final rule will be issued by August 1, 2012.