MedPAC, Facing Industry Pressure, Clarifies Its Intent For Hospital Pay Hike In 2014

MedPAC, Facing Industry Pressure, Clarifies Its Intent For Hospital Pay Hike In 2014-insidehealthpolicy: Congress' Medicare payment advisors Thursday (Jan. 10) reassured hospitals that they support a 1 percent payment update for the industry in 2014 after lawmakers' cuts to offset the Medicare physician payment patch and potential upcoming payment reductions from sequestration are taken into account. It's Congress' prerogative to set the final payment rates, MedPAC Chairman Glen Hackbarth said, but the Medicare Payment Advisory Committee will recommend an overall positive update for hospitals. Hospital groups had appealed to MedPAC to clarify that its proposed 1 percent payment update would not be voided by the “doc fix” offset and looming sequestration cut.