CMS punishing hospitals with worst rates of HAIs, patient injuries

Hospitals with the worst rates of hospital-acquired infections (HAI) and patient injuries will lose 1% of every Medicare payment for a year starting in October, according to a Kaiser Health News article. Federal officials released a preliminary analysis in April saying 761 hospitals would be assessed. A final list will be released later this year.

The sanctions are estimated to total $330 million, according to Kaiser Health News. Publicly owned hospitals and facilities with large percentages of low-income patients are more likely to be hit with penalties. Kaiser Health reports that the biggest impact could be on major teaching hospitals, 54% of which were targeted with preliminary penalties.

Read the Kaiser Health News article here.