Fox News
Expand
Browse All Video
Watch Live

You're watching...

Hospitals facing big fines for readmitted Medicare patients

Details

  • Description

    Penalty in provision of health care law goes into effect

  • Duration 4:28
  • Date

Clips

Also in this playlist...

America's Newsroom

Auto-advance: ON

Auto-advance
View All

Transcript

This transcript is automatically generated

-- millions of Americans could be impacted by a little -- piece of the president's health care law.

That went into effect this week hospitals now facing big fines.

If too many of their Medicare patients have to be readmitted within thirty days.

As of now it's believed that about one in five Medicare patients have to go back to the hospital.

For follow up care doctor Marc Siegel Fox's medical -- team -- a professor of medicine and why use one don't medical centers looking in of this and doc good morning to you -- bill how are you I'm OK what what was the intent.

In this provision of the law lets start there.

Well it's all about money build upon the government is saying we want to try to save -- money we're gonna push the hospital.

The discharge the patient as soon as possible and then we're gonna say let's not -- admit that patient.

Because that's costing -- many millions of dollars and these penalties are involving some of the top hospitals in the country.

University of Chicago Massachusetts general Vanderbilt.

Big big big hospitals and -- penalty is gonna apply to all Medicare.

Payments to the hospital over the next several months and the problem -- that is what about care bill.

Why is the government doing getting in the midst of my medical care of my hospital's medical care if -- patient has heart failure.

And they go home and god forbid they get worse.

I am not allowed to -- Hit them without getting a penalty what does this all about so -- you're arguing you're arguing this is the business decision.

What's completely business decision but I even on that level alone I have questions about it because I don't think it's -- I think if you start penalizing hospitals they're gonna start cherry picking patients.

What about hospitals that are tertiary care that have the best technology they're gonna say whoa wait a minute.

We got the sickest patients these are the ones that need to be -- -- gonna penalize us.

What about rural areas you know -- there's no doctor waiting to take care of me when you leave the hospital you may have no other.

Optioned him to return to that -- may depend on where you live good point do you agree that's -- -- percent one in five readmitted.

Are you tonight at figures accurate or hi I think that figure is slightly -- I think it's somewhere between 12% and 20%.

But I don't I don't think that this is where the waste in the system is.

I think they should look more the government should be looking at more.

At where the infrastructure is where the doctors -- -- they're driving doctors out of private practice with obamacare so when the patient gets out of the hospital they often have nowhere else to go -- that's a great point -- with three -- apparently have excessive re admissions.

Patients recovering from heart failure heart attacks or pneumonia.

I'm glad you brought that up -- -- -- gonna extend that to stroke and knee replacements and hip replacements as well in a few months they're looking at that but look if you have heart failure bill.

You may go home.

And you know what you get worse again your heart is not in great shape the same thing with -- I could -- a -- home with pneumonia because I think -- -- treated as an -- and -- they get worse -- am -- supposed to do.

Oftentimes the hospital is the best place to go.

We're very sick patients that end up getting worse could -- his first trip could this though could it.

Get the hospitals.

To take better care.

It in the -- as it possibly a way to.

Get better medical treatment what you there.

Bill that is the intention here but I don't think the government has the kind of sensitivity.

To apply to the patient by patient basis as I've been saying here for years they have no business getting in the middle of this because in the end it's gonna create chaos in May save money by planning -- people are gonna get it -- as a result and what what is the fine if if you're in violation of this -- well it varies but -- can be up to 1%.

Of all your Medicare reimbursements which can be many millions of dollars they estimate.

They're gonna raise 230 -- nine million dollars a year on this now that's it if it and they do estimate that that seventeen billion dollars is wasted I'm not saying.

That this is in a major problem I don't think this is the way the -- And -- alternately you -- don't forget about the patient and don't forget about the doctor would you have argued for three years now.

-- been the most overlooked aspect of all this health care.

Overall medical treatment is the doctor in the patients not the politician it is not the government and it's not -- these regulations which make it harder to practice medicine not easier you wonder if you're gonna recognize your own practice -- ten years.

Well I hope I will but it but it won't be the government.

Making that happen mark thank you doctor Marc Siegel here --

Load More