This week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a proposed rule for Medicare Skilled Nursing Facility Payment Rates for FY 2027.
The proposed rule indicates a 2.4 percent increase for non-rural SNFs and a 2.7 percent increase in payments for rural SNFs. In addition to payment updates, the rule proposes changes to the Skilled Nursing Facility Quality Reporting Program (QRP), including the removal of two COVID-19 vaccination measures, revised data submission deadlines to improve timeliness of public reporting, and a new requirement to submit Minimum Data Set (MDS) data on all residents receiving skilled care, regardless of payer. The proposal also includes updates to the Skilled Nursing Facility Value-Based Purchasing (VBP) Program, which withholds 2% of SNF payments and redistributes a portion based on performance, along with technical updates to align measure calculations and reporting timelines. Additionally, CMS is seeking stakeholder input through Requests for Information on topics such as advanced care planning and potential refinements to the Patient-Driven Payment Model (PDPM) to address case-mix coding practices. Comment by June 1.