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Advising the Congress on Medicare issues
MedPAC > Recommendations

Commission Recommendations

MedPAC makes recommendations to the Congress and to the Secretary of Health and Human Services on issues affecting the administration of the Medicare program. With its recommendations, the Commission strives to improve the delivery of care, while ensuring financial stability and maximizing value for the program. After extensive analysis and evaluation, our recommendations are discussed and voted on by Commissioners in our public meetings. Recommendations are typically published in two main reports, released in March and June of each year.

Recommendations Topic(s) Publication

Skilled nursing facility services (2)

The Congress should eliminate the fiscal year 2020 update to the Medicare base payment rates for skilled nursing facilities.

  • Post-acute care

March 2019 - Chapter 8

Using payment to ensure appropriate access to and use of hospital emergency department services (1)

The Congress should: allow isolated rural stand-alone emergency departments (more than 35 miles from another emergency department) to bill standard outpatient prospective payment system facility fees and provide such emergency departments with annual payments to assist with fixed costs.

  • Hospital

June 2018 - Chapter 2

Using payment to ensure appropriate access to and use of hospital emergency department services (2)

The Congress should reduce Type A emergency department rates by 30 percent for off-campus stand-alone emergency departments that are within six miles of an on-campus hospital emergency department.

  • Hospital

June 2018 - Chapter 2

Ambulatory surgical center services

The Congress should eliminate the calendar year 2019 update to the Medicare payment rates for ambulatory surgical centers. The Congress should also require ambulatory surgical centers to submit cost data.

  • Ambulatory care settings

March 2018 - Chapter 5

Home health care services

The Congress should reduce Medicare payments to home health agencies by 5 percent in calendar year (CY) 2019 and implement a two-year rebasing of the payment system beginning in CY 2020. The Congress should direct the Secretary to revise the prospective payment system to eliminate the use of therapy visits as a factor in payment… Read more »

  • Delivery system reforms
  • Post-acute care

March 2018 - Chapter 9

Hospice services

The Congress should eliminate the fiscal year 2019 update to the Medicare payment rates for hospice services.

  • Post-acute care

March 2018 - Chapter 12

Hospital inpatient and outpatient services

For 2019, the Congress should update the 2018 Medicare base payment rates (inpatient and outpatient) for acute care hospitals by the amount determined under current law.

  • Hospital

March 2018 - Chapter 3

Inpatient rehabilitation facility services

The Congress should reduce the fiscal year 2019 Medicare payment rate for inpatient rehabilitation facilities by 5 percent. Additionally, the Commission reiterates its March 2016 recommendations on the inpatient rehabilitation facility prospective payment system.

  • Post-acute care

March 2018 - Chapter 10

Long-term care hospital services

The Secretary should eliminate the fiscal year 2019 Medicare payment update for long-term care hospitals.

  • Post-acute care

March 2018 - Chapter 11

Mandated report: Telehealth services and the Medicare program

Vote to forward telehealth report to Congress.

  • Delivery system reforms

March 2018 - Chapter 16