Hospital group says some quality reporting too pricey

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 06:59:56 -0400

A group representing 2,000 hospitals across the U.S. is arguing that quality reporting relying on proprietary tools, methods or information is too expensive to be sustainable. The Premier Healthcare Alliance's Quality Improvement Committee has since sent a letter to CMS objecting to the inclusion of quality measures that require such proprietary tools and data. The letter, signed by a CEO representing 17 hospitals and healthcare systems, says the use of such sources available only through private organizations would be expensive and slow electronic medical record rollouts, while giving such vendors monopolistic pricing power. The Premier execs have also made a similar request to the National Quality Forum.

To learn more about the Premier alliance's quality data concerns:
- read this Healthcare Finance News piece

Medicare hospital payments may climb $4 billion

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 06:59:58 -0400

Under the terms of a new proposed rule, Medicare reimbursement for inpatient hospitals may go up by almost $4 billion. The new rule would apply to patients who are discharged from hospitals during fiscal 2009, which begins on Oct. 1, 2008. However, the increase doesn't come without its own pricetag. Not only is the agency planning to expand the list of "never events" for which it won't compensate hospitals, it's also adding 43 new quality measures for which hospitals will have to report data if they want the full annual payment update.

To learn more about the rule:
- read this HFMA News brief

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