NAPH and Others Oppose Measures to Change Medicare 72-Hour Rule - June 2, 2010

On May 26, 2010, hospital groups, including the American Hospital Association and NAPH submitted a letter to Congress opposing the inclusion of language in H.R. 4213 that would change the Medicare “72-Hour Rule” by prohibiting hospitals from retrospectively billing to unbundle payments for therapeutic services provided prior to the date of enactment if they were performed within 72 hours of a hospital admission and were unrelated to the admission. According to the letter, Recovery Audit Contractors and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services had previously told hospitals that these payments were available to them. The bill passed the House on May 28. The Senate intends to take up its own extenders package next week.