2,610 hospitals will have their Medicare reimbursements cut because too many of their patients were readmitted within 30 days according to Kaiser Health News. For each Medicare beneficiary treated from Oct 1 to Sept. 30 next year, the reimbursements will be cut. some will be cut 3% and nearly 500 will lose 1% or more of their Medicare payments. Combined, the penalties will result in more than $428 million .
Medicare’s goal is to get the hospitals to think more about discharging patients with better planning.
About 1,400 hospitals are exempted from penalties as they provide specialized cancer care, psychiatry or other specific services.
Jeffrey Newman represents whistleblowers.
