Stephen Bedsole, partner in charge of Draffin & Tucker’s Atlanta office, was quoted in the article, “Medicare Rules Predicted to Have Little Impact,” that appeared in the Oct. 26, 2012, issue of the Atlanta Business Chronicle.
Starting Oct. 1, 2012, the beginning of the federal fiscal year, Medicare will withhold 1 percent of its regular hospital reimbursements in the new Value-Based Purchasing (VBP) Program created by the 2010 Affordable Care Act. Over the course of the year, money will be returned to some hospitals based on how well they follow clinical guidelines for basic care and how they fare in patient satisfaction surveys. Steve notes that given current economic conditions, hospitals are concerned about the cuts because they can ill-afford a 1 percent cut on Medicare.
Based on the new program, some hospitals will get back money that was withheld, some will break even and some will end up receiving extra. Steve notes that Atlanta-area hospitals have a reputation for quality, which may position them to pick up extra dollars from above average performance.
For more information on the VBP Program and Medicare rules, please contact Stephen Bedsole at sbedsole@draffin-tucker.com.