CMS recently finalized sweeping changes to the way Medicare pays hospitals for services furnished in "new" off-campus provider-based departments (referred to as "off-campus PBDs").

CMS revealed the changes on November 1 with the publication of the CY 2017 OPPS Final Rule (the "Final Rule"), which implements Section 603 of the BBA. Section 603 included revisions to payment for off-campus PBDs developed on or after November 2, 2015.  Section 603 is discussed on pages 79699 – 79729.

While rulemaking is constrained by the requirements of Section 603, CMS seems to have heard the concerns of stakeholders and has reversed course on a number of problematic proposals contained in its Proposed Rule.