Recently, the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) for Health Information Technology (health IT) unveiled a new webpage that discusses how health IT can improve care transitions across long-term and post-acute care settings (LTPAC). ONC is strengthening its focus on LTPAC providers, with a specific emphasis on improving care coordination and care transitions for patients to reduce costly hospital readmissions. ONC recognizes the importance of care transitions for this medically complex population and states that health IT “provides an opportunity for health care providers to share health information in a timely and secure manner across care settings to support patient-centered care, particularly during transitions from one care setting to another.”

Today, the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health held a hearing on the Medicare post-acute care payment system including payments relating to Home Health Agencies (HHA), Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNF), Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities (IRF), and Long-Term Care Hospitals (LTCH). Jonathan Blum, Deputy Administrator and Director, Center of Medicare, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and Mark Miller, Executive Director, Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC), were the subcommittee’s two witnesses.

Yesterday, Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee announced that they would hold a hearing on bipartisan proposals to reform the Medicare post-acute care payment system on Friday, June 14th at 9:30am ET. The hearing will focus on payment reforms relating to Home Health Agencies (HHA), Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNF), Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities (IRF), and Long-Term Care Hospitals (LTCH), and of particular note for NTOCC, will highlight the lack of guidelines for placing patients in post-acute facilities when they are discharged from hospitals.