by Robert King | Feb 20, 2020
The Trump administration wants to keep a hip and knee replacement bundled payment model going for another three years.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a proposed rule Thursday that calls for a three-year extension to the Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement Model, which is set to end after this year. The agency is also floating a major change to cover outpatient replacements, as the model currently only covers inpatient procedures. 
The goal is to address changes to facilities that can now “allow for total knee and hip replacements to be treated in the outpatient setting,” CMS said in a fact sheet on Thursday.
CMS is also proposing changes for how it will reconcile payments made under the model. Participating hospitals can get a bundled payment to cover an entire episode of care for a hip or knee replacement.