Government Update

The Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) published the official rules for the new outpatient prospective payment system in the Federal Register on April 7, but the register can be hard to navigate. HCFAs Web site offers a much simpler presentation of the new ambulatory payment classification (APC) regulations at http://www.hcfa.gov/regs. The chart found there will help direct readers to the section of the rules they wish to read. In contrast to the sparsity of information before the rules were published, HCFAs Web site is now packed with useful information at http://www.hcfa.gov/medicare.

The site includes links to the PPS program manual and memoranda, the rules themselves, the process to find codes for items potentially eligible for payment as new technology or pass-throughs, median costs for outpatient services and hospital-specific information. The last section addresses data for individual providers and details on how payment is calculated. HCFA also provides a table that summarizes data to demonstrate how Medicare payments will change under APCs.

If you have questions about any of the data HCFA provides on that Web page, send them to outpatientpps@hcfa.gov. That e-mail address does not accept comments about the new payment system or questions about information not addressed on the Web site.

In addition, HCFA, in association with the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA), plans to hold a teleconference on APCs on June 7. This will be its second such teleconference. The first was held April 28 and was sold out. For more information, you should contact HFMA at 800-252-HFMA, ext. 2.

- Published on 2000-06-01