PATH ALONG WHA and Fixed National Hospital Wages

PATH ALONG continues to notice changes that effect the delivery of care at the hospital level.  Wages are a component of the total money reimbursment hospitals receive for treating patients with Medicare as a pay source. 

Senator John Kerry and Senator Robert Menendez had successfully negotiated the inclusion of an amendment in to the formulation of Health Care Reform law which moved hospital wage reimbursements from a fixed State based amount to a fixed National amount.

The Centers (CMS) for Medicare and Medicaid have long emphasized the importance placed on the financial performance of a hospital serving a rural population.  CMS regulations translate payment for delivery through hospital classifications.  (SCH) Sole Community Hospital, (MDH) Medicare Dependent Hospital,  (RRC) Rural Referral Hospital, and (CAH) Critical Access Hospital.  The CMS classification of the hospital and the affiliation with larger providers can effect the level of Medicare money being reimbursed. 

In 2007 Nantucket (Massachusetts) Cottage Hospital merged with Partners Health Care.  This Nantucket hospital then updated its CMS classification to a rural hospital payment system.  Under the Kerry and Menendez amendment The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) are required to reimburse all Massachusetts hospitals for employee wages at the same rate. 

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Lifting authority from the State level up to the National level on fixed wage reimbursements clearly demonstrates how we are all in this together.  When the Nantucket Hospital merged and then reclassified more public money flowed in to the service region.  The sum of the shifting public dollars is large enough to grab the attention of the Wisconsin Hospital Association (WHA).  Hospital Associations across the United States are collaborating to effect policy that contols the current distribution of health care dollars.

PATH ALONG is an original Wisconsin model that connects inpatient providers to community staff who support the patient during health system transitions.  PATH ALONG encourages Wisconsin to follow this change at the hospital level as it unfolds.   For additional information please check out the site below with free access
http://www.homecarepath.com/Pages/PRESSRELEASEOriginalWisconsinModelToReduceHospitalReadmissionRates.aspx