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- CMS Proposes New Rules Promoting Health Equity in Hospital Care
On April 10, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued the proposed 2024 Inpatient Prospective Payment System and Long-Term Care Hospital Prospective Payment System regulation. The 2024 proposed inpatient regulation aims to advance health equity and support underserved communities. The CAP advocates for health equities and combats health care disparities.
The proposed regulation will update Medicare payments and hospital policies and hospital quality measures to foster safety, equity, and reduce preventable harm in the hospital setting, according to the CMS. The CMS also proposed to recognize homelessness, a social determinant of health, as an indicator of increased resource utilization in the acute inpatient hospital setting, which may result in higher payment for certain hospital stays.
The proposed regulation would also make health equity adjustments in the Hospital Value-Based Purchasing Program by incentivizing hospitals to perform well on existing measures and those who care for high proportions of underserved individuals, as defined by dual eligibility status. In addition, the CMS requested comments on how to further support safety-net hospitals.
The CMS also proposed that rural emergency hospitals could be designated as graduate medical education training sites. As a result, more medical residents would be able to train in rural settings, which can help address workforce shortages in these communities.