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5503 - Distribution of Additional Residency Positions

 
Implementation Status 
Statutory Text 

Summary

Beginning with cost reporting periods beginning on or after July 1, 2011, provides for reductions in a hospital’s FTE resident caps for Medicare direct GME and IME for certain hospitals as well as a redistribution of such slots to other qualified hospitals.  Requires that 70% of the resident slots be distributed to hospitals located in states with resident-to-population ratios in the lowest quartile, and 30% be distributed to hospitals located in a state, a territory of the United States or DC that are among the top 10 states, territories, or districts in terms of the ratio of: the total population as a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) population area to the total population on the most recent available Census population data. Provides that hospitals may not receive more than 75 FTE additional residency slots as a result of this provision.

#Dental Health, #Graduate Medical Education (GME), #Hospitals, #Physicians

Implementation Status

 
Summary 
Statutory Text 

2010

CMS in the fall of 2010 addressed the implementation of this provision in its CY 2011 HOPPS/ASC final rule and provided subsequent guidance in its summer 2012 FY 2013 IPPS/LTCH final rule.  More information is available by CMS here.

2013

On August 2, 2013, CMS issued its FY 2014 Medicare Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) and Long-Term Care Hospital (LTCH) PPS final rule under which gross hospital payments will be $1.2 billion higher in FY 2014 than they were in FY 2013 – much higher than the $27 million increase initially proposed.  The final rule addresses a number of IPPS and LTCH payment and quality-related provisions authorized or amended by the ACA.

On August 8, 2013, HRSA announced an August 29 meeting of the Advisory Committee on Training in Primary Care Medicine and Dentistry to discuss, among other things, certain grant programs that were amended by this provision of the ACA.

2014

On February 12, 2014, HRSA issued a revision of the current CHGME information collection (available here) that was submitted by the agency to OMB to effectuate various policy changes set forth by the ACA, including “changes on counting resident time in non-provider settings, counting resident time for didactic training, and the re-distribution of resident caps” – all of which required subsequent modification of the data collection forms within the CHGME Payment Program application.

On May 1, CMS issued a proposed rule updating FY 2015 Medicare payment policies and rates for inpatient stays at general acute care and LTCHs. Under the proposed rule, hospitals that participate in the Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting (IQR) Program and are ‘meaningful users’ of EHRs would receive a 1.3% payment update. However, the 1.3% rate increase, when coupled with the payment policy reductions – including those under the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program, the Hospital Acquired Condition (HAC) Reduction Program, Medicare DSH changes as well as “the expiration of certain statutory provisions that provided special temporary increases in payments to hospitals and other proposed changes” – would ultimately decrease IPPS operating payments by approximately 0.8% or $241 million over FY 2015 payment levels. Also of note, gross LTCH payments under the proposed rule would increase by 0.8% or $44 million over FY 2014 payments, with a delay (pursuant to the statutory mandate) in the full application of the 25% Rule patient threshold, among other key LTCH policy changes denoted further below. Comments are due by June 30, 2014. CMS fact sheets are available here and here. A CMS press release is available here.

On June 25, 2014, HRSA published a notice announcing that lists of all geographic areas, population groups and facilities designated as primary medical care, mental health and dental HPSAs soon will be available on the agency’s website, http://www.hrsa.gov/shortage/. Specifically, the HPSA section of the HRSA website is pending an update to reflect the latest listings. The lists will reflect an annual update, superseding HPSA lists appearing in the Federal Register on June 27, 2013, and will be current as of May 23, 2014. HRSA also incorporates daily updates to HPSAs here. As discussed on p. 2 of the notice, HPSAs affect site eligibility for the NHSCs; priority for certain HRSA Bureau of Health Workforce clinical residency training site grants; and qualifying providers’ eligibility for increased Medicare reimbursement when practicing in an HPSA geographic area, among other impacts.

On August 4, CMS issued a final rule updating FY 2015 Medicare payment policies and rates for inpatient stays at general acute care and LTCHs. The final rule also codifies “two interim final rules with comment period relating to criteria for disproportionate share hospital [DSH] uncompensated care payments and extensions of temporary changes to the payment adjustment for low-volume hospitals and of the Medicare-Dependent, Small Rural Hospital (MDH) Program.”

Under the final rule, hospitals that participate in the Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting Program and are ‘meaningful users’ of EHRs would receive a 1.4% payment update – up slightly from the agency’s 1.3% proposed increased. However, the 1.4% rate increase, when coupled with payment policy reductions enumerated further below – including reductions under the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program, changes to Medicare DSH payments, and so forth – are projected to decrease IPPS operating payments by approximately 0.6%” (compared to the net decrease of 0.8% under the proposed rule) – or by roughly $756 million in FY 2015.

CMS also finalized its proposal to continue its slow phase-in of the ATRA’s coding intensity adjustment, leaving ~$8 billion to be recouped in FYs ‘15 and ‘16.

Gross LTCH payments under the final rule would increase by 1.1%  – up from the 0.8% CMS put forward in its proposed rule, with a delay (pursuant to the statutory mandate) in the full application of the 25% Rule patient threshold, among other key LTCH policy changes denoted further below.

CMS fact sheets are available here and here.  An agency press release is available here.

2016

On Aug. 2, 2016 CMS released the FY 2017 inpatient prospective payment system (IPPS) and long-term care hospital (LTCH) PPS and policy final rule. The final rule governs FY 2017 payments to approximately 3,330 acute care hospitals and 430 LTCHs through the IPPS and LTCH PPS, respectively, and effectuates key policy changes. Under the rule, net payments to inpatient hospitals will increase by 0.95 percent on average compared with FY 2016. For the IPPS, the rule finalizes the 1.5 percent documentation and coding recoupment cut, as proposed, and delays the proposed incorporation of S-10 data into uncompensated care calculations. LTCH PPS payments will decrease by 7.1 percent under the LTCH PPS amid the ongoing implementation of site neutrality and will increase by 0.7 percent for cases qualifying for the higher standard rate.

Statutory Text

 
Implementation Status 
Summary 

SEC. 5503. DISTRIBUTION OF ADDITIONAL RESIDENCY POSITIONS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1886(h) of the Social Security Act (42
U.S.C. 1395ww(h)) is amended—
(1) in paragraph (4)(F)(i), by striking ‘‘paragraph (7)’’ and
inserting ‘‘paragraphs (7) and (8)’’;
(2) in paragraph (4)(H)(i), by striking ‘‘paragraph (7)’’ and
inserting ‘‘paragraphs (7) and (8)’’;
(3) in paragraph (7)(E), by inserting ‘‘or paragraph (8)’’ before
the period at the end; and
(4) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
‘‘(8) DISTRIBUTION OF ADDITIONAL RESIDENCY POSITIONS.—
‘‘(A) REDUCTIONS IN LIMIT BASED ON UNUSED POSITIONS.—
‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in clause (ii),
if a hospital’s reference resident level (as defined in
subparagraph (H)(i)) is less than the otherwise applicable
resident limit (as defined in subparagraph
(H)(iii)), effective for portions of cost reporting periods
occurring on or after July 1, 2011, the otherwise applicable
resident limit shall be reduced by 65 percent of
the difference between such otherwise applicable resident
limit and such reference resident level.
‘‘(ii) EXCEPTIONS.—This subparagraph shall not
apply to—
‘‘(I) a hospital located in a rural area (as defined
in subsection (d)(2)(D)(ii)) with fewer than
250 acute care inpatient beds;
‘‘(II) a hospital that was part of a qualifying
entity which had a voluntary residency reduction
plan approved under paragraph (6)(B) or under
the authority of section 402 of Public Law 90–248,
if the hospital demonstrates to the Secretary that
it has a specified plan in place for filling the unused
positions by not later than 2 years after the
date of enactment of this paragraph; or
‘‘(III) a hospital described in paragraph
(4)(H)(v).
‘‘(B) DISTRIBUTION.—
‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall increase the
otherwise applicable resident limit for each qualifying
hospital that submits an application under this subparagraph
by such number as the Secretary may approve
for portions of cost reporting periods occurring
on or after July 1, 2011. The aggregate number of increases
in the otherwise applicable resident limit
under this subparagraph shall be equal to the aggregate
reduction in such limits attributable to subparagraph
(A) (as estimated by the Secretary).
‘‘(ii) REQUIREMENTS.—Subject to clause (iii), a hospital
that receives an increase in the otherwise applicable
resident limit under this subparagraph shall ensure,
during the 5-year period beginning on the date
of such increase, that—
‘‘(I) the number of full-time equivalent primary
care residents, as defined in paragraph
(5)(H) (as determined by the Secretary), excluding
any additional positions under subclause (II), is
not less than the average number of full-time
equivalent primary care residents (as so determined)
during the 3 most recent cost reporting periods
ending prior to the date of enactment of this
paragraph; and
‘‘(II) not less than 75 percent of the positions
attributable to such increase are in a primary care
or general surgery residency (as determined by
the Secretary).
The Secretary may determine whether a hospital has
met the requirements under this clause during such 5-
year period in such manner and at such time as the
Secretary determines appropriate, including at the end
of such 5-year period.
‘‘(iii) REDISTRIBUTION OF POSITIONS IF HOSPITAL NO
LONGER MEETS CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS.—In the case
where the Secretary determines that a hospital described
in clause (ii) does not meet either of the requirements
under subclause (I) or (II) of such clause,
the Secretary shall—
‘‘(I) reduce the otherwise applicable resident
limit of the hospital by the amount by which such
limit was increased under this paragraph; and
‘‘(II) provide for the distribution of positions
attributable to such reduction in accordance with
the requirements of this paragraph.
‘‘(C) CONSIDERATIONS IN REDISTRIBUTION.—In determining
for which hospitals the increase in the otherwise
applicable resident limit is provided under subparagraph
(B), the Secretary shall take into account—
‘‘(i) the demonstration likelihood of the hospital
filling the positions made available under this paragraph
within the first 3 cost reporting periods beginning
on or after July 1, 2011, as determined by the
Secretary; and
‘‘(ii) whether the hospital has an accredited rural
training track (as described in paragraph (4)(H)(iv)).
‘‘(D) PRIORITY FOR CERTAIN AREAS.—In determining for
which hospitals the increase in the otherwise applicable
resident limit is provided under subparagraph (B), subject
to subparagraph (E), the Secretary shall distribute the increase
to hospitals based on the following factors:
‘‘(i) Whether the hospital is located in a State with
a resident-to-population ratio in the lowest quartile (as
determined by the Secretary).
‘‘(ii) Whether the hospital is located in a State, a
territory of the United States, or the District of Columbia
that is among the top 10 States, territories, or
Districts in terms of the ratio of—
‘‘(I) the total population of the State, territory,
or District living in an area designated (under
such section 332(a)(1)(A)) as a health professional
shortage area (as of the date of enactment of this
paragraph); to
‘‘(II) the total population of the State, territory,
or District (as determined by the Secretary
based on the most recent available population
data published by the Bureau of the Census).
‘‘(iii) Whether the hospital is located in a rural
area (as defined in subsection (d)(2)(D)(ii)).
‘‘(E) RESERVATION OF POSITIONS FOR CERTAIN HOSPITALS.—
‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—Subject to clause (ii), the Secretary
shall reserve the positions available for distribution
under this paragraph as follows:
‘‘(I) 70 percent of such positions for distribution
to hospitals described in clause (i) of subparagraph
(D).
‘‘(II) 30 percent of such positions for distribution
to hospitals described in clause (ii) and (iii) of
such subparagraph.
‘‘(ii) EXCEPTION IF POSITIONS NOT REDISTRIBUTED
BY JULY 1, 2011.—In the case where the Secretary does
not distribute positions to hospitals in accordance with
clause (i) by July 1, 2011, the Secretary shall distribute
such positions to other hospitals in accordance
with the considerations described in subparagraph (C)
and the priority described in subparagraph (D).
‘‘(F) LIMITATION.—A hospital may not receive more
than 75 full-time equivalent additional residency positions
under this paragraph.
‘‘(G) APPLICATION OF PER RESIDENT AMOUNTS FOR PRIMARY
CARE AND NONPRIMARY CARE.—With respect to additional
residency positions in a hospital attributable to the
increase provided under this paragraph, the approved FTE
per resident amounts are deemed to be equal to the hospital
per resident amounts for primary care and nonprimary
care computed under paragraph (2)(D) for that hospital.
‘‘(H) DEFINITIONS.—In this paragraph:
‘‘(i) REFERENCE RESIDENT LEVEL.—The term ‘reference
resident level’ means, with respect to a hospital,
the highest resident level for any of the 3 most
recent cost reporting periods (ending before the date of
the enactment of this paragraph) of the hospital for
which a cost report has been settled (or, if not, sub-
mitted (subject to audit)), as determined by the Secretary.
‘‘(ii) RESIDENT LEVEL.—The term ‘resident level’
has the meaning given such term in paragraph
(7)(C)(i).
‘‘(iii) OTHERWISE APPLICABLE RESIDENT LIMIT.—
The term ‘otherwise applicable resident limit’ means,
with respect to a hospital, the limit otherwise applicable
under subparagraphs (F)(i) and (H) of paragraph
(4) on the resident level for the hospital determined
without regard to this paragraph but taking into account
paragraph (7)(A).’’.
(b) IME.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 1886(d)(5)(B)(v) of the Social Security
Act (42 U.S.C. 1395ww(d)(5)(B)(v)), in the second sentence,
is amended—
(A) by striking ‘‘subsection (h)(7)’’ and inserting ‘‘subsections
(h)(7) and (h)(8)’’; and
(B) by striking ‘‘it applies’’ and inserting ‘‘they apply’’.
(2) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 1886(d)(5)(B) of the
Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395ww(d)(5)(B)) is amended by
adding at the end the following clause:
‘‘(x) For discharges occurring on or after July 1, 2011, insofar
as an additional payment amount under this subparagraph
is attributable to resident positions distributed to a hospital
under subsection (h)(8)(B), the indirect teaching adjustment
factor shall be computed in the same manner as provided
under clause (ii) with respect to such resident positions.’’.
(c) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 422(b)(2) of the Medicare
Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of
2003 (Public Law 108–173) is amended by striking ‘‘section
1886(h)(7)’’ and all that follows and inserting ‘‘paragraphs (7) and
(8) of subsection (h) of section 1886 of the Social Security Act’’.

Browse ACA Titles

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  • V-Health Care Workforce
  • VI-Transparency and Program Integrity
  • VII-Improving Access to Innovative Medical Therapies
  • VIII-Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS ACT)
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