October is the time of year that the new SNF reimbursement rates become effective. After a considerable amount of flux between the FY 2023 Proposed Rule and the Final Rule, CMS gave a modest increase to SNFs. The key changes in the FY 2023 Final Rule include an overall 2.7% increase in rates and updates to the SNF Value-Based Purchasing Program. It is wise to look closely at the different components of PDPM to see the impact of the changes. Today, we will look at the SLP Component PDPM Case-Mix Adjusted Federal Rates and Associated Indexes—Urban.
| SLP Component Federal Rates – Urban | FY 2022 | FY 2023 | |
| SA | $15.95 | $ 16.28 | |
| SB | $42.68 | $ 43.65 | |
| SC | $62.61 | $ 64.12 | |
| SD | $34.24 | $ 35.02 | |
| SE | $54.87 | $ 56.22 | |
| SF | $69.88 | $ 71.51 | |
| SG | $47.84 | $ 48.83 | |
| SH | $67.07 | $ 68.55 | |
| SI | $82.78 | $ 84.58 | |
| SJ | $70.12 | $ 71.76 | |
| SK | $86.77 | $ 88.78 | |
| SL | $98.72 | $ 101.11 |
The largest increase in dollars ($2.39 per day) is in the SL category. A Medicare patient at the SL level has an acute neurologic diagnosis with a swallowing disorder and cognitive impairment. The patient also has speech-related comorbidities and is on a mechanically altered diet.
The bigger takeaway is the variation from top to bottom remains significant, at nearly $85 ppd. A great speech therapy department excels at capturing and coding during the PDPM assessment process. This includes having speech therapy actively involved in the BIMS and working closely with dietary to ensure patients are on proper diets.
This is not to say that every patient can reach the level of SL. That is simply not possible. However, one look at the chart above shows that accurate coding of the SLP component will lead to valuable capture of Medicare reimbursement.
Top performing SNFs average around $52 in the SLP component, while low performers average around $40ppd. That’s a big difference. If you’d like more information on the performance of your SNF, follow the link here for a complementary analysis.
For more information on the SLP component of PDPM, please visit our website. If you have any questions or thoughts, please send us a message. We’d love to hear from you.
