Factors linked to readmission after total hip
Editor's Note All-cause readmission is the only metric in widespread use, but it overlooks important information that enables readmission risk to be understood, this study finds. Of 514,455 patients in the UK analyzed over a 10-year period, there were 30,489 all-cause readmissions, 16,499 readmissions related to the surgical site, and…
Editorial
Since July, when repeal and replacement of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) stalled, healthcare reform has been somewhat overshadowed by events such as natural disasters and concerns about national security. Now, with insurers due to announce rates for the coming year, Congress is working on a bill to stabilize the…
CMS granting exemptions for providers affected by Hurricane Irma
Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is granting exemptions under Medicare quality reporting and value-based purchasing programs for certified providers (eg, acute care hospitals, long-term care hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers) affected by storms and flooding from Hurricane Irma. Providers will be granted exemptions without having to…
Bill to reduce EHR burden clears subcommittee
Editor's Note The House Energy & Commerce Health Subcommittee on September 13 approved legislation that would remove a requirement to make meaningful use standards for electronic health records (EHRs) more stringent over time, the September 13 AHA News Now reports. In a letter of support for the bill, which is…
Effect of Medicare's Hospital Readmission Reduction Program on surgical readmissions
Editor's Note From 2008 to 2014, rates of postoperative readmissions declined for both Hospital Readmission Reduction Program targeted procedures (total hip and total knee replacements)--from 6.8% to 4.8%--and nontargeted procedures (colectomy, lung resection, abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, coronary artery bypass graft, aortic valve replacement, and mitral valve repair)--from 17.1% to…
CMS grants exceptions for quality reporting to ASCs in Harvey’s path
Editor's Notes The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will grant exceptions for quality reporting requirements for ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) located in the path of Hurricane Harvey, the September 1 ASCA News reports. ASCs in affected counties and parishes in Texas and Louisiana will get exceptions without having…
Payment variation in CABG episodes of care can affect bundled payments
Editor's Note Wide variation was found in 90-day coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) episode payments for Medicare and private payer patients in this study. The differences were driven by increased use of evaluation and management services, higher utilization of inpatient rehabilitation, and patients with multiple readmissions. In the analysis of…
Voluntary bundled-payment models shifting to outpatient procedures
Editor's Note Though the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is rolling back mandatory bundled-payment programs, it is expected to release more voluntary, outpatient-focused programs, which shifts power from hospitals to physicians, the August 21 Healthcare Finance News reports. Physician-focused does not require a hospitalization, which creates a complete…
More than 800 ICD-10 code changes coming
Editor's Note ChartLogic (Salt Lake City) is reporting that as of August 9, 2017, a total of 419 ICD-10 codes were added, 273 codes were revised, and 123 codes were being deleted, according to the August 15 Becker’s Hospital CFO Report. The changes are slated for implementation on October 1,…
Purpose of CMS readmission program questioned
Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program has only seen a drop in readmissions by 0.1% from 2013 to mid-2016, which has industry experts and hospital leaders questioning its purpose, the August 12 Modern Healthcare reports. The Affordable Care Act mandated program, which…
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