CMS has released its Calendar Year (CY) 2012 final rule with comment period for outpatient services furnished in hospitals and ASCs. In addition to establishing payment rates for CY 2012, the final rule also expands the measures to be reported under the Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting Program, and modifies the Hospital Value-Based Purchasing program. The final rule also establishes an exception process for expansion of physician-owned hospitals, which is otherwise strictly limited by the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

CMS anticipates that total payments under the OPPS for CY 2012 will be approximately $41.1 billion, and that payments to ASCs will be approximately $3.5 billion.

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