GAO: Number of hospitals heavily dependent on Medicare has shrunk

Healthcare DIVE March 2, 2020
Ron Shinkman

Dive Brief:

• The number of hospitals heavily dependent on Medicare decreased 28.5% between 2011 and 2017, according to a new report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office. However, their numbers were relatively small to begin with — and those that actually qualified for payments were an even smaller proportion.
• The GAO attributes the shrinking number of hospitals in the Medicare Dependent Hospital Program to closures, mergers or acquisitions and changes in designation.
• Hospitals in the program are usually smaller and more rural. Those hospitals with patient discharges including at least 60% Medicare enrollees and with 100 beds or fewer qualify for extra inpatient and outpatient payments.

Dive Insight:

The Medicare program has long offered supplemental payments to smaller...

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