This is the 10th year of the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program. To determine penalties for fiscal year 2022, CMS used patient data from July 2017 through December 2019 and compared each hospital’s reported readmission rate to national averages. The penalties typically are based on three years of patient data, but CMS excluded data for the first six months of 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the report.
Here are five takeaways from the Kaiser Health News analysis published Oct. 28:
1. Eighty-two percent of the 3,046 hospitals CMS evaluated were assessed a penalty. In fiscal year 2021, 83 percent of hospitals evaluated were penalized.
2. CMS will cut payments to the penalized hospitals by as much as 3 percent for each Medicare patient stay during fiscal year 2022, which runs from Oct. 1, 2021, through Sept. 30, 2022.
3. Thirty-nine hospitals were hit with the maximum penalty for fiscal year 2022.
4. The average punishment will be a 0.64 percent payment cut for each Medicare patient stay.
5. The penalties will save Medicare an estimated $521 million over the next fiscal year.
Read the full Kaiser Health News report here.
At the Becker's 11th Annual IT + Revenue Cycle Conference: The Future of AI & Digital Health, taking place September 14–17 in Chicago, healthcare executives and digital leaders from across the country will come together to explore how AI, interoperability, cybersecurity, and revenue cycle innovation are transforming care delivery, strengthening financial performance, and driving the next era of digital health. Apply for complimentary registration now.
