Bill > S1936

This bill requires the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMI) to establish and implement a new payment model for blood transfusions provided to hospice patients within one year of the act's enactment. Currently, blood transfusions are bundled into the Medicare hospice all-inclusive per diem payment, but this bill would allow these transfusions to be paid separately at the rate that would normally apply if the patient was not in hospice care. The CMI must evaluate this model by comparing hospice patients receiving the new payment approach with similar patients not in the model, tracking several key metrics including the number of chemotherapy services in a patient's last 14 days of life, hospital utilization in the final days, days spent receiving hospice care, transfusion frequency, and other relevant factors. The goal appears to be understanding how separate payment for blood transfusions might impact hospice patient care and potentially improve access to these treatments. This approach is part of a broader effort to test innovative payment models within the Medicare system that could potentially improve patient care and healthcare efficiency.

Budget and Finance

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/1936/all-info