The Biden HHS is extending an experimental Medicare payment system for joint replacements for three years and adding knee and hip replacements to the mix, according to a final rule released Thursday.
The rule (RIN 0938-AU01) updates the definition of an “episode of care” to include outpatient knee and hip replacement and makes adjustments to the target price calculation, the reconciliation process, beneficiary notice requirements, and the appeals process.
The program is projected to save Medicare roughly $217 million over the three additional model years, from 2021 through 2024. That’s down from the $269 million in estimated savings included in ...