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- CMS proposes 2027 hospital payment updates
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released its 2027 Hospital Inpatient and Long-term Care Hospital payment systems proposed rule on April 10.
The impact: CMS proposes a 2.4% increase in hospital inpatient payment rates, with overall hospital payments expected to rise by about $1.4 billion.
The details:
- The rule updates payment rates for acute care and long-term care hospitals.
- Hospital quality programs remain focused on broad measures like mortality rates.
- No pathology-specific quality measures are included or proposed.
What’s next:
- CMS continues to expand alternative payment models, including an episode-based approach for joint replacement care.
- While the proposal does not directly affect pathology, we are monitoring its development and potential downstream impact.