Inpatient psychiatric facilities will see an average estimated increase of 2.74% in payments for 2012, according to a final rule the CMS issued last week.
The rule updates Medicare payment policies and rates for discharges beginning July 1, 2011, through Sept. 30, 2012. In addition to the payment update, the rule changes the teaching policy for IPFs to allow temporary increases in the intern and resident caps.
“We agree with the commenters that, when a hospital temporarily takes on residents because another hospital closes or discontinues its program, a temporary adjustment to the cap would be appropriate for rotation that occurs in an IPF setting,” the rule said. Meanwhile, the rule allowed for cost-of-living adjustments for IPFs in Alaska and Hawaii.
Finally, beginning in 2013, the CMS will change the IPF prospective payment system from a rate cycle that runs from July 1 through June 30 to a fiscal year cycle that begins Oct. 1 and ends Sept. 30, which will result in a 15-month update.
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