FY 2019 IPPS Proposed Rule
May 1, 2018:
CMS has made available its display version of the FY 2019 IPPS Proposed Rule, which is scheduled to be published on May 7, 2018. There are two Graduate Medical Education issues that we would like to highlight.
Medicare GME Affiliated Group
First, CMS is proposing to allow new urban teaching hospitals (i.e. hospitals that did not have residents in their FY 1996 cost reports) some flexibility in sharing its FTE caps. Under the current rules, new urban teaching hospitals are only allowed to enter a Medicare GME affiliated group if their FTE cap(s) increases. The proposed regulation will allow new urban teaching hospitals to enter into a Medicare GME affiliated group with two (or more) new urban teaching hospitals, which will cause at least one of the new urban teaching hospitals to have a decrease in its FTE cap(s). CMS believes this “will enable these hospitals to provide residents training at their facilities with both the required and more varied training experiences necessary to complete their residency training programs… [and] will facilitate increased training within local, smaller-sized communities…” This CMS-proposed change would be effective beginning with affiliation agreements entered into for the 2019-2020 academic year.
Hospital Closures
Second, CMS is announcing two rounds of section 5506 of the Affordable Care Act slot applications, Round 11 and Round 12. The Round 11 application process is a result of Massillon, Ohio’s Affinity Medical Center’s closure. There will be a total of 22.36 IME FTE cap slots and 22.48 DGME FTE cap slots redistributed. The Round 12 application process is a result of the closure of Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Garland’s. There will be a total of 12.52 IME FTE cap slots and 13.53 DGME FTE cap slots redistributed due to this Garland, Texas hospital’s closure.
Following is a link to the FY 2019 IPPS Proposed Rule Home Page, where you can find additional details: https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Medicare-Fee-for-Service-Payment/AcuteInpatientPPS/FY2019-IPPS-Proposed-Rule-Home-Page.html
About the Author:
Larry Sumitani
Senior Principal