Medicare Advisory Board Recommends Congress Raise Medicare Payment Rates to Hospitals, Doctors

The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) voted unanimously on Jan. 12 to recommend increased Medicare payment rates for hospitals and physicians next year while simultaneously slashing fees to skilled nursing facilities amid labor shortages and increases costs.
MedPAC, a nonpartisan independent legislative branch agency that makes payment and policy recommendations to Congress on Medicare issues, approved a string of recommendations during its virtual meeting on Thursday, Axios reported.
Specifically, the panel recommended Congress allow hospitals to get a 1 percent increase over current Medicare rates, and that doctors get a reimbursement increase of 50 percent of the Medicare Economic Index, citing the impact of inflation on physician operating costs. That would amount to a 1.25 percent boost to payments next year….}