Bulletin Board
Bulletin Board
Risk Adjustment Has Impact on Medicare Readmissions Program
The use of social risk adjustment has helped reduce differences in the penalties assessed to safety-net hospitals and other hospitals by Medicare’s hospital readmissions reduction program, according to a new study. According to the study published in the journal Health Affairs, Seven studies found that adding social risk factors to the program’s base risk-adjustment model (which adjusts only for age, sex, and comorbidities) reduced differences in risk-adjusted readmissions and penalties between safety-net hospitals and other hospitals. Three studies found that peer grouping, the HRRP’s current approach to social risk adjustment, [...]
Hospital Financial Woes Continue and Will Persist
The immediate financial future for many hospitals is bleak, according to a new study. The study, by the health care management consulting company Kaufman Hall, concludes that “Margins remain depressed relative to pre-pandemic levels.” “More than half of hospitals are projected to have negative margins through 2022.” “Expenses are significantly elevated from pre-pandemic levels.” “Hospitals have faced a profound financial toll.” “Ultimately, U.S. hospitals are likely to face billions of dollars in losses in 2022 under both optimistic and pessimistic." The study cites the COVID-19 pandemic and inflation among the [...]
FEDERAL HEALTH POLICY UPDATE FOR THE WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 12-16
The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for the week of September 12-16. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. No Surprises Act The Department of Health and Human Services, the federal Office of Personnel Management, the Internal Revenue Service, the Department of the Treasury, the Department of Labor, and the Employee Benefits Security Administration have issued a request for information (RFI) seeking stakeholder comment on how to implement the No Surprises Act’s requirement that health care providers and payers [...]
Federal Health Policy Update for the Week of September 5-12
The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for the week of September 5-12. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. The White House The White House has published a fact sheet on the administration’s plan to get Americans an updated COVID-19 shot and to manage COVID-19 this fall. The major components of the plan are providing access to free, updated vaccines; ensuring easy access to testing and treatment; encouraging safe practices; and preparing for potential surges and new variants. Find [...]
Report Details History of Provider Relief Fund
A new report chronicles the history, evolution, and workings of the Provider Relief Fund, which was financed by Congress to help health care providers and their patients through the worst of the COVID-19 public health emergency. The Urban Institute report “The COVID-19 Provider Relief Fund: Following How the US Department of Health and Human Services Distributed $178 Billion,” traces the history of the Provider Relief Fund and how it distributed the money allocated to it. It also outlines how the fund evolved, how the money was distributed to different types [...]