Medicare's Readmission Penalties Hit New High

Medicare measures the readmission rates of seven conditions: heart attacks, heart failure, pneumonia, chronic lung disease, hip and knee replacements and coronary artery bypass graft surgery. Fines are determined by comparing current rates to records from July 2012 to  June 2015. Hospitals with more unplanned readmissions than expected will receive a reimbursement reduction for each Medicare case during the upcoming fiscal year, which runs Oct. 1 through September 2017.

5 statistics on this topic:

  1. Medicare expects hospitals' penalties to total $528 million in 2016, about $108 million more than last year.
  2. CMS will penalize 2,597 facilities in FY 2017, five more hospitals than last year.
  3. According to KHN's analysis, 1,621 hospitals have faced penalties every year in the five years of the program.
  4. Forty-nine hospitals will receive the maximum reduction in reimbursement, or three percent of the Medicare rate. That is up from thirty eight hospitals that received the largest penalty last year.
  5. The average reduction to hospitals was 0.73 percent for each Medicare payment, up from 0.61 percent last year.

Reducing the spread of infection can reduce hospital readmissions. Whole room disinfection with ultraviolet C can lower the spread of infection within healthcare facilities. 

To learn more about Medicare penalties for hospital readmission in 30 days: Click Here

 

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