Here are the three policy changes:
1. Physicians who conduct their Medicare services in ASCs will be exempt from payment penalties under the EHR Incentives Program, until certified EHR technology for the ASC setting is made available. These exclusions also apply to the EHR component of the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System.
2. To increase transparency, Medicare beneficiaries will be able to compare the cost of certain services between hospital outpatient departments and ASCs. This option will be available beginning in 2018, in an effort to help patients control out-of-pocket costs.
3. The FDA is instructed to release guidance related to reusable medical devices and to release a list of reusable device types, along with validated data on cleaning, disinfecting and sterilizing these devices, to aid healthcare facilities in reducing the spread of bacteria.
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