September 10, 2012 Fierce Healthcare | By Karen Cheung-Larivee
Two-thirds of hospitals will see penalties in the coming weeks for higher-than-average readmissions, according to the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC).
Starting Oct. 1, hospitals will face up to a 1 percent penalty in 2013 for readmissions related to acute myocardial infarction, heart failure and pneumonia. In 2014, the penalty will go up to 2 percent and up to 3 percent in 2015, with four more conditions added to the list.
Sixty-seven percent of hospitals will face a penalty, averaging $125,000. A third (33 percent) will have no penalty, for instance, because they do not have enough cases. In aggregate, penalties will equal 0.24 percent of all inpatient payments in 2013.
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