On June 19, 2013, the leaders of the House Ways and Means Committee and Senate Finance Committee issued an open call for Medicare post-acute care payment (PAC) reform recommendations. The lawmakers cited their concerns about “the substantial variation in Medicare spending, utilization, quality, and Medicare profit margins within the post-acute sector,” and request information on PAC reforms that can result in Medicare program savings, improve PAC payment accuracy, combat fraud, and address variation in utilization. In addition, the letter requests feedback on a long list of policy considerations, including specific questions on hospital readmissions, bundled payments, site-neutral payments, and various questions raised by alternatives to fee-for-service payment. Comments will be accepted until August 19, 2013.
