News in brief - American Medical News

[cassandra]

Sorry Okarol, I don't know how to post a topic. I found this on my Dutch Kidneynews site. its from
American Medical News.

GOVERNMENT

News in brief - Dec. 26, 2011
Medicare pay will drop for 30% of end-stage renal disease centers - 13 New Jersey doctors arrested on illegal kickback charges - House bill would fund primary care residency programs
Medicare pay will drop for 30% of end-stage renal disease centers
Medicare payments to about 1,500 end-stage renal disease facilities will be reduced by up to 2% in 2012, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced Dec. 15.

The pay rate adjustments are the result of a value-based purchasing program involving nearly 5,000 facilities during the 2010 reporting year, during which the government measured facilities' anemia management and dialysis adequacy. Nearly 70% of those facilities achieved high scores on the quality measures and will not be penalized in 2012, CMS said.

"The real purpose of value-based purchasing is to raise the bar on quality, and that's exactly what CMS is aiming to do for Medicare patients who have ESRD," said acting CMS Administrator Marilyn Tavenner. "This is one of many efforts CMS is making to drive quality improvement in all settings in communities across the country."

ESRD facilities are required to post certificates displaying performance in the quality incentive program. Information about a facility's performance also is available on Medicare's Dialysis Facility Compare website (www.medicare.gov/dialysis).

   
GOVERNMENT

News in brief - Dec. 26, 2011
Medicare pay will drop for 30% of end-stage renal disease centers - 13 New Jersey doctors arrested on illegal kickback charges - House bill would fund primary care residency programs
Medicare pay will drop for 30% of end-stage renal disease centers
Medicare payments to about 1,500 end-stage renal disease facilities will be reduced by up to 2% in 2012, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced Dec. 15.

The pay rate adjustments are the result of a value-based purchasing program involving nearly 5,000 facilities during the 2010 reporting year, during which the government measured facilities' anemia management and dialysis adequacy. Nearly 70% of those facilities achieved high scores on the quality measures and will not be penalized in 2012, CMS said.

"The real purpose of value-based purchasing is to raise the bar on quality, and that's exactly what CMS is aiming to do for Medicare patients who have ESRD," said acting CMS Administrator Marilyn Tavenner. "This is one of many efforts CMS is making to drive quality improvement in all settings in communities across the country."

ESRD facilities are required to post certificates displaying performance in the quality incentive program. Information about a facility's performance also is available on Medicare's Dialysis Facility Compare website (www.medicare.gov/dialysis).


Edited: Moved to correct section - okarol/admin