In Depth Analysis

On April 18, 2022, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) posted the FY 2023 Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) proposed update, along with proposed policy and regulation changes. The proposed rule would update Medicare payment policies and quality reporting programs relevant for inpatient hospitals, and would build on key priorities to address health disparities and improve the safety and quality of maternity care.

On Monday, March 28, 2022, President Biden released his proposed fiscal year (FY) 2023 budget. The president’s budget includes $5.8 trillion in mandatory and discretionary spending. The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) budget proposes $127.3 billion in discretionary budget authority and $1.7 trillion in mandatory funding, representing a 1.4% increase in spending compared to FY 2022 levels. The budget’s proposals focus on pandemic preparedness, mental health and health equity.

The $1.5 trillion omnibus spending package, passed by the House on March 9, 2022, by the Senate on March 10, 2022, and signed into law by the President on March 15, 2022, extends certain telehealth flexibilities related to the public health emergency (PHE) for 151 days (approximately five months) after the PHE ends.

Susan Xu co-authored “Association of Beneficiary-Level Risk Factors and Hospital-Level Characteristics With Medicare Part B Drug Spending Differences Between 340B and Non-340B Hospitals,” which was published on the JAMA Open Network.