The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission met on January 11th to finalize recommendations for their March 2024 Report to Congress. As part of the review of payment adequacy for post-acute care settings, the commission voted to eliminate any payment update for hospice in 2025, decrease skilled nursing facility rates in 2025 by 3 percent, and cut home health base payment rate by 7 percent.
Commissioners raised concerns about the lack of Medicare Advantage data available for skilled nursing payments. There was also concern around the lack of robust quality measurement in hospice. For home health, commissioners noted concerns about the decline in visits, especially for home health aides.
It is important to note that MedPAC discussions and recommendations are just that. CMS and Congress are not obligated to act on the Commission’s recommendations.
