Dive Brief:
- CMS has finalized a rule where Medicare will pay for end-of-life consultations between physicians and patients, which the agency first proposed in July. The agency said the rule is "consistent with recommendations from a wide range of stakeholders and bipartisan members of Congress," as reported by The Hill.
- As per the new rule, Medicare will pay $86 for the first 30 minutes of advance care planning in a physician's office and $80 in a hospital. Medicare will also pay for $75 for 30 additional minutes in either location. These amounts can be adjusted for geographical cost differences, according to The New York Times.
- The rule takes effect in January and creates new codes to pay for advanced care planning under Medicare's physician fee schedule.
Dive Insight:
The rule also makes clear advance care planning takes place "at the discretion of the beneficiary," to mitigate concerns that arose in 2009 by some members of Congress with President Obama's push to move healthcare legislation forward.
The American Hospital Association applauded the final rule, adding it would encourage Medicare beneficiaries and healthcare providers to discuss patients' "treatment preferences." Rep. Sander Levin (D-MI), the top Democrat on the Ways and Means Committee, led a letter that urged CMS to adopt the rule last week. "Families should be able to talk through and understand these medical decisions with a knowledgeable practitioner of their choosing," he said in a statement.
Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) said Medicare "has taken an important step forward in moving the conversation around end-of-life care beyond political scare tactics." He added Congress could do more via legislation to promote the education of physicians and patients and develop quality measures to ensure end-of-life care is consistent with patients' wishes.