Dialysis Pay Rule Includes Auction Policy Backed By Equipment Suppliers

The final Medicare pay rule for end-stage renal disease services that CMS released Friday (Oct. 28) includes an industry-backed approach to competitive bidding, requires that equipment suppliers provide proof of bid surety bonds, revises state licensure requirements and makes changes to the ESRD Quality Incentive Program. CMS projects that Medicare will pay $80 million more next year for dialysis services, which is a 0.73 percent increase. Hospital-based dialysis facilities are projected to receive 0.9 percent more, and the projected increase...