The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on Thursday released the Skilled Nursing Facility Prospective Payment System (SNF PPS) FY 2022 draft rule in which the agency proposed a 1.3 percent increase in Medicare rates for nursing homes.

In response, Mark Parkinson, president and chief executive officer of the American Health Care Association (AHCA), said the 1.3 percent rate hike for SNFs in the next fiscal year would result in an increase of approximately $444 million in Medicare Part A payments.

“Nursing homes across the country continue to dedicate extensive resources to protect their residents and staff from COVID-19,” he said.

“This ongoing work makes government support and robust reimbursement rates more important than ever. With the skilled nursing profession grappling with an economic crisis and hundreds of facilities on the brink of closure due to the pandemic, it is critical that Medicare remain a reliable funding source and reflect the increasing costs providers are facing.”

Parkinson added that “we also recognize the importance of quality measures associated with COVID-19, including a proposed measure of the COVID-19 Vaccination Coverage among health care personnel. We thank [CMS] Acting Administrator [Liz] Richter and the [Biden] administration for their support through the pandemic.”

For further information, go to Federal Register :: Federal Register Documents Currently on Public Inspection.