From the Hill: PAC Provider Groups Advocate for Changes to SNF VBP

This week a number of post-acute care provider groups sent a letter to Ways and Means Committee leaders advocating for major changes to the Medicare Post-Acute Care Value-Based Purchasing Act (H. R. 3298). This bipartisan bill would establish a value-based purchasing program across home health agencies, nursing homes, inpatient rehabilitation facilities and long-term care hospitals. Under the PAC VBP Program, reimbursement is withheld, then redistributed through value-based incentive payments, based on a provider’s performance on measures specified by the IMPACT Act. The PAC VPB would apply to payments for services furnished on or after October 1, 2019, and begin in 2020. The bill would repeal the current SNF VBP program.

In the letter, the PAC coalition of provider groups recommended that the PAC VBP program be delayed until CMS fully develops outcomes measures mandated by the IMPACT Act. The letter also requested that the bill limit the withhold amounts to 2 percent and phase them in by the fifth year of the program. Furthermore, all withheld reimbursement should be reinvested in the form of incentive payments and be redistributed within the PAC sector.

The Society has expressed similar concerns in comment letters to CMS related to the IMPACT Act.

Congress is set to go on recess shortly after this week and return after the election.

Read the entire letter here.