The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (“MedPAC”) met in Washington, DC, on December 8-9, 2016. The purpose of this and other public meetings of MedPAC is for the commissioners to review the issues and challenges facing the Medicare program and then make policy recommendations to Congress. MedPAC issues these recommendations in two annual reports, one in March and another in June. MedPAC’s meetings can provide valuable insight into the state of Medicare, the direction of the program moving forward, and the content of MedPAC’s next report to Congress. At the annual December meeting MedPAC reviews draft recommendations to Congress regarding Medicare payment policy. MedPAC reviews and formalizes these recommendations during its January meeting.

We monitor MedPAC developments to gage the direction of the health care marketplace. Our five biggest takeaways from the October meeting are as follows:

1. MedPAC discusses recommending that Congress update Medicare inpatient and outpatient payments by the amounts specified in current law.

MedPAC reviewed the inpatient and outpatient hospital payment adequacy. In doing so MedPAC reviewed beneficiary access to care, provider access to capital, quality of care, and the impact of cost growth on hospital margin. MedPAC found that beneficiary access to care is good, provider access to capital is strong, quality is improving, and that margin for inpatient and outpatient hospital services in Medicare was at 9%. This led the MedPAC make a draft recommendation that Congress update the inpatient and outpatient payments as currently specified in existing law.

2. MedPAC finds annual volume growth in the clinician services highest in five year period, but that beneficiary access to clinician services remained comparable to private health insurance.

In reviewing payment adequacy to physicians and other health professionals MedPAC staff found that the annual volume growth in clinician services was higher in 2015 than it was in the period from 2010-2014. The staff also found that the growth in services reflected a shift from freestanding offices to hospital based settings. However, despite the growth in volume MedPAC also found that Medicare beneficiaries have comparable access to clinician services as those with private insurance. Based on this MedPAC’s draft recommendation to Congress is that they should increase payment rates for physician and other health professional services as specified in current law.

3. MedPAC considers recommending changes to how Medicare pays for skilled nursing facility (SNF) services.

MedPAC’s review of the current SNF payment model found that Medicare fee-for-service payments remain higher then Medicare Advantage payments for services and that differences in beneficiary population across payment models does not explain the payment differences. They also found that the current payment model has resulted in a wide disparity in SNF margins partially due to the current payment model favoring intensive therapy over medically complex care. MedPac’s draft recommendation is for Congress to eliminate the market basket for 2018 and 2019 and direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to revise the prospective payment system for SNFs.

4. MedPAC considers recommending Congress eliminate the update to Medicare hospice payments for 2018.

MedPAC review of the Medicare hospice benefit found that the number of hospice providers has continued to increase and that the number of Medicare beneficiaries utilizing hospice has also increased. Medicare hospice providers saw a marginal profit of 11% in 2014. Given the strength of marginal profit and the increase of in the number of hospice providers MedPAC’s draft recommendation is that Congress should eliminate the update to the hospice payment rates for fiscal year 2018.

5. MedPAC considers recommending changes to Medicare’s home health payment model, including reducing the total payment level.

MedPAC found that Medicare home health benefits have resulted in a provider margin of better than 16% in the 2001 to 2014 period. MedPAC also found that the current payment model may be creating inefficiencies in treatment by incentivize multiple therapy visits per episode. To address these areas MedPAC’s draft recommendation is that Congress should reduce payments by 5% in 2018, and implement a two year rebasing of the payment system, beginning in 2019. Further, MedPAC draft recommendation is that Congress should direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to revise the PPS to eliminate the use of therapy visits as a factor in payment determinations, concurrent with rebasing.