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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