New Medicare Coverage For Psychiatric, Skilled Nursing and Rehab Providers

According to the rules released last Thursday by the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Medicare will increase payment to inpatient psychiatric hospitals, inpatient rehabilitation facilities and skilled nursing facilities in fiscal year 2015. The finalized payment policies boost reimbursement to psychiatric hospitals and rehabilitation facilities past amounts originally proposed by CMS in May 2014.

Under the Inpatient Psychiatric Facilities Prospective Payment System final rule, psychiatric hospitals will see payments increase by 2.5 percent in fiscal year 2015, representing a 0.4 percent hike over the 2.1 percent increase set forth in CMS’ proposed rule. The increased payments, totaling roughly $120 million, will benefit the nation’s 1,600 psychiatric hospitals.

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