MA Hospitals Cry Foul Over State Readmission Fines

"Otherwise, the unfunded expenses of caring for MassHealth patients will result in further reductions in workforce and a deterioration of hospital plant equipment and systems. The cost-shift onto the private sector by hospitals (at least those that are able to) will also continue, forever challenging our state’s effort to successfully reform the payment and delivery system.

The federal government plans to reduce payment to hospitals that have 30-day readmissions in the highest quartile by 1% of their Medicare payments, with discharges as of Oct. 1, 2012.

Representatives of several of the hospitals listed for fines said they could not comment, and some said they weren't aware they were named. They all referred inquiries to the MHA.

As reported by the Boston Globe, the 24 hospitals to be fined are Anna Jaques Hospital, Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital Needham, Boston Medical Center, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Brockton Hospital, Cambridge Health Alliance, Caritas Good Samaritan Medical Center, Caritas Healthcare Norwood Hospital, Heywood Hospital, Marlborough Hospital, MetroWest Medical Center, Milton Medical Center, Morton Hospital and Medical Center, Nashoba Valley Medical Center, Noble Hospital, Quincy Medical Center, North Adams Regional Hospital, Saint Vincent Hospital, South Shore Hospital, Sturdy Memorial Hospital, St. Anne's Hospital, St. Elizabeth Medical Center, Southcoast Tobey Hospital, and Tufts New England Medical Center.