The ACC submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding the fiscal year 2027 Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) proposed rule. Notable topics covered in the letter include:

• Urging CMS not to repeal the New Technology Add-on Payment (NTAP) alternative pathway program. The ACC believes this action would stifle innovation and restrict patient access to new technologies.
• Supporting the reassignment of the WiSE® CRT system from the Medicare Severity Diagnosis Related Group (MS-DRG) for standard pacemakers to the MS-DRG for leadless pacemakers, aligning better with both clinical and resource usage.
• Agreeing with cardiovascular devices proposed to receive NTAP coverage.
• Supporting the inclusion of Medicare Advantage (MA) data in mortality measures within the Inpatient Quality Reporting (IQR) system.
• Commenting on the Emergency Care Access and Timeliness measure in the Hospital IQR and responding to a request for information on value-based purchasing.
• Sharing feedback on several electronic clinical quality measures including Advanced Care Planning and Antithrombotic Therapy.
• Supporting the inclusion of MA data in Excess Days in Acute Care measures as well as reducing the reporting period from three years to two.
• Approving of a proposal to make electronic prior authorization measures voluntary to allow all stakeholders sufficient time to implement and operationalize related capabilities.
• Concurring with modified, more flexible implementation requirements of the Unique Device Identifier for Implantable Medical Devices measure.
• Supporting the streamlining of the Medicare Promoting Interoperability Program.

Read ACC's comment letter and get more details on the proposed rule by viewing the full proposed rule text along with CMS' accompanying press release and fact sheet. The IPPS final rule is expected in early August.

Clinical Topics: Cardiovascular Care Team

Keywords: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, U.S., Prior Authorization, ACC Advocacy, Inpatients, Quality Indicators, Health Care, Health Care Technology, Prospective Payment System, Hospitals, Technology, Diagnosis-Related Groups, Value-Based Purchasing