The Reed Smith Health Industry Washington Watch blog has been updated to report on recent health policy developments, including the following:

  • Regulatory Developments. CMS has released a number of final FY 2014 Medicare payment rules, including rules updating the acute inpatient prospective payment system, the long-term care hospital prospective payment system (PPS), the inpatient rehabilitation facility PPS, the skilled nursing facility PPS, hospice rates and policies, and inpatient psychiatric facility PPS rates. CMS also has issued notices on the Medicare national coverage determination process and Medicaid disproportionate share hospital allotments. HHS is seeking comments on implementation of an ACA provision preventing discrimination in certain health programs, and FDA has proposed regulations on its detention authority with respect to drugs intended for human or animal use.
  • Other HHS Developments. CMS is seeking comments on the release of physician-specific payment data. It also has updated its list of HCPCS codes that it considers to be off-the-shelf orthotics – and therefore subject to inclusion in a future round of the Medicare DMEPOS competitive bidding program. Further, CMS also suspended certain Medicaid drug data collection. FDA has issued a number of draft guidance documents.
  • OIG Reports. The HHS Office of Inspector General has issued reports on Medicare billing for cancelled elective surgeries, hospital use of observational stays, and clinical trial data and safety monitoring boards.
  • Legislative Developments. A House panel is inviting comments on draft legislation to reform Medicare post-acute care policy, and legislation has been introduced to narrow the in-office ancillary services exception to the Stark law.
  • Odds & Ends. MedPAC has released its 2013 Data Book on Health Care Spending and the Medicare Program. Recent Reed Smith blog posts address a case in which hard drives on used photocopiers resulted in HIPAA violations, and a China life sciences regulatory crackdown impacting the medical device sector.
  • Health Industry Events. CMS is hosting a call on a draft electronic clinical template for lower limb prostheses.