Analyzing Medicare's Payment Policy for Hospital-Acquired Conditions and Its Impact on Safety-Net Hospitals
Award Amount:
$179,966
Approval Date:
July 15, 2008
Start Date:
September 1, 2008
End Date:
October 31, 2009
Health Research and Educational Trust
One North Franklin Street, 30th Floor
Chicago, Illinois 60606
Principal Investigator:
Megan McHugh, Ph.D.
To improve quality of care for Medicare beneficiaries, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has specified a list of eight avoidable hospital-acquired medical conditions that it soon will no longer consider in determining payment for inpatient hospital stays. Another nine conditions may be added to the list. This study will provide information about the potential impact of CMS's "value-based purchasing" policy on safety-net and other hospitals, and identify strategies that different types of hospitals are using to respond to the CMS incentives, reduce the incidence of hospital-acquired conditions, and develop quality improvement programs.