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CMS Releases Data for COVID-19 Hospitalization Payments, Patient Discharge Status

Analysis  |  By Revenue Cycle Advisor  
   June 30, 2020

The average Medicare payment per fee-for-service was $23,094. The data reported by CMS also includes a range of payments for fee-for-service COVID-19 hospitalizations.

A version of this article was first published June 30, 2020, by HCPro's Revenue Cycle Advisor, a sibling publication to HealthLeaders.

CMS released data for novel coronavirus (COVID-19) hospitalizations in the first half of 2020, highlighting total Medicare payment for fee-for-service hospitalizations, discharge statuses, and average length of stay.

The total Medicare payment for fee-for-service COVID-19 hospitalizations was $1.9 billion through May 16, according to CMS.

The report covers Medicare claims and encounter data for services rendered between January 1 and May 16, 2020. In that period, there were 81,227 total fee-for-service COVID-19 hospitalizations, according to CMS. The average Medicare payment per fee-for-service was $23,094. The data reported by CMS also includes a range of payments for fee-for-service COVID-19 hospitalizations. The 95th percentile for payments was $63,721, while the fifth percentile was $5,303.

Additionally, the CMS report provided data for COVID-19 discharges and length of stay.

Here was the breakdown of the discharge status for the 109,607 COVID-19 hospitalizations:

  • Expired (28%)
  • Home (27%)
  • Skilled Nursing Facility (21%)
  • Home health (11%)
  • Hospice (5%)
  • Another healthcare facility (5%)
  • Assisted living/nursing home (2%)
  • Other (1%)

Fifty percent of individuals hospitalized for COVID-19 experienced a length of stay of seven days or fewer. Meanwhile, 34% of individuals experienced a length of stay of eight to15 days (18% between eight and10 days and 16% between 11 and15 days). Finally, 16% of individuals hospitalized for COVID-19 experienced a length of stay of 16 days or longer (7% were hospitalized between 16-20 days, 6% were hospitalized between 21-30 days, and 3% were hospitalized for 31 or more days).

The full breakdown of data can be found on the CMS website.

Revenue Cycle Advisor combines all of HCPro's Medicare regulatory and reimbursement resources into one handy and easy-to-access portal. News is not just repeated from other sources. It is analyzed by our Medicare experts so professionals can comprehend any new rule and regulatory updates thoroughly. Learn more.


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