The American Hospital Association has commented on a bundled payment proposal for heart attack patients, saying CMS should carefully assess organizations that take part in the measure.
The AHA made the following suggestions:
• CMS should not use the heart attack bundled payment measure to assess acute-care hospitals exclusively.
• CMS should consider longer time periods in future applications. Currently, the bundled payment covers a 30-day episode, but the AHA said heart attack patients can "incur significant expenses beyond 30 days after admission."
• The bundled payment measure should exclude patients who have unique clinical needs, such as those with end-stage renal disease and AIDS.
To read the AHA's comments on the proposed heart attack bundled payments, click here (pdf).
The AHA made the following suggestions:
• CMS should not use the heart attack bundled payment measure to assess acute-care hospitals exclusively.
• CMS should consider longer time periods in future applications. Currently, the bundled payment covers a 30-day episode, but the AHA said heart attack patients can "incur significant expenses beyond 30 days after admission."
• The bundled payment measure should exclude patients who have unique clinical needs, such as those with end-stage renal disease and AIDS.
To read the AHA's comments on the proposed heart attack bundled payments, click here (pdf).
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