Adding a spending per beneficiary measure to the Hospital Value-Based Purchasing Program in 2015 while decreasing the weight of the quality measures allowed some lower quality hospitals to receive bonuses, according to study published this week in Health Affairs. “High-quality low-spending hospitals received the greatest financial benefit from the program,” the authors note. “In this respect, [the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’] achieved its goal with the new spending measure.” However, they said hospital quality “had a weak and inconsistent association with spending,” and suggested CMS consider incorporating a minimum quality threshold into the program.

Related News Articles

Headline
A new report from KFF reveals that Medicare Advantage enrollees had access to just 48% of the physicians available to Traditional Medicare beneficiaries in…
Headline
The AHA Oct. 23 recommended changes to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Wasteful and Inappropriate Services Reduction model to address…
Headline
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has released an operational guide for Medicare-enrolled providers and suppliers on the Wasteful and…
Headline
A report by the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General found that many Medicare Advantage and Medicaid managed care plans…
Blog
Public
Cross-industry insights and new technology are helping HCA Healthcare reduce risk, improve outcomes and lead the future of high-reliability careFor Randy Fagin…
Headline
Medicare open enrollment for 2026 began Oct. 15 and runs through Dec. 7. During the annual enrollment period, Medicare-eligible individuals can check their…