UNC hospitals face Medicare penalties

UNC Hospitals may have to pay millions in Medicare penalties for a high number of patient infections and complications, according to a provision of the new health care law. In an effort to lower health costs, the Affordable Care Act has authorized Medicare to make assessments of hospital-acquired conditions, and crack down on hospitals that aren’t meeting their standard. Preliminary scores show 16 N.C. hospitals are currently at risk of penalties, including two of the largest in the Triangle: UNC Hospitals and WakeMed in Raleigh. Medicare authorities score on a ten-point scale, with the worst of the infections and health complications of hospitals ranking higher. UNC Hospitals was scored at 7.375; WakeMed received a score of 8.025.