CMS expects 4.1% inpatient reimbursement increase

Inpatient reimbursement is expected to increase by 4.1 percent, if the Proposed Rule issued by CMS for fiscal year 2009 becomes final. Within the Proposed Rule, CMS states:

"We estimate that total FY 2009 operating payments will increase 4.1 percent compared to FY 2008, largely due to the statutorily mandated update to the IPPS rates. This amount also reflects the -0.9 percent FY 2009 documentation and coding adjustment to the IPPS national standardized amounts..."

The increase includes the effects of the 3.0 percent market basket update, according to CMS, and the total increase will amount to $3.96 billion in fiscal year 2009.