CMS proposed a payment rule Monday (July 29) meant to encourage dialysis facilities to adopt new equipment and supplies while also increasing pay for those facilities and updating the pricing system for medical devices.

“The changes we are proposing in this rule will also modernize outdated government policies to facilitate greater competition in the DME market, ensure accurate Medicare payments to protect taxpayers and advance innovation across our healthcare system so patients can receive the treatment options that work best for them,” said CMS Administrator Seema Verma in a statement.

CMS proposed increasing pay dialysis end-stage renal disease (ESRD) facilities by $5 in 2020, raising the base rate from $235.27 to $240.27. CMS also proposed updating the ESRD wage index using the most recent available hospital wage data and data that account for the different geographical areas in which facilities are located.

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