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New concerns as hospitals face potential Medicare fines

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    Dr. Marc Siegel weighs in

  • Duration 6:00
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New concerns now that hospitals may be about to get hit with big fines.

Under president Obama's health care law.

That law.

Says that Medicare can find hospitals beginning now this month.

That had too many patients readmitted with complications certain complications within thirty days of their discharge.

More than 2000 hospitals face the penalties and that number's gonna go up the number of hospitals.

The average 325000.

Dollars per facility.

And now there are worries about how those fines could affect those -- bottom lines in their treatment of patients.

And now doctor Marc Siegel a member of our Fox News medical ET and big -- over and we're used to -- go to medical center okay.

Now I read this and I say they're gonna find the hospitals because they want to hold them accountable.

Four patient care too many patients are being readmitted within thirty days of -- -- due to complications and they want to improve quality and I say.

Greats I would like to improve quality and I don't want patients having complications -- why shouldn't this be a problem for anybody.

Which there what's wrong with this -- first of all 2200 hospitals is two thirds of all the hospitals in the US that takes Medicare.

We're talking about some -- top hospitals they're going to be penalized right now Massachusetts general University of Chicago Vanderbilt University big big hospitals that are really great.

So get it right percent -- -- dog discharge somebody who's gonna come back within thirty days with a major complication a -- with the problem is the hospitals I've just been named or something called tertiary care centers they're getting very sick patients.

That are sent to them because of their great technology.

And the three diagnoses that are being featured here for -- penalties are heart failure my party -- -- heart attack or pneumonia and they've been edge stroke to that that.

It was a pretty serious public -- -- you have a loved one who gets a discharge within thirty days as a heart attack.

Shouldn't be we be in favor of Obama care holding these hospitals liable.

No there's one thing obamacare doesn't know in the government never understood is actually what real -- about and you know something when you have heart failure.

Your chances of getting sick again after we send you out is very high it's a slippery slope another thing.

What where's the government understanding where the doctors in the community are they're gonna take care of people when they got out.

Look we've talked about this here on the show many times doctor shortage what about rural hospitals were about poor people.

That the hospital discharges a patient and the doctor doesn't pick up the ball in the community and the patient comes back in their life is saved again by the hospital.

And then the hospital pays a penalty.

And the president loves talking about Cleveland clinic when we take a little secret about Cleveland clinic it doesn't make its money from Medicare makes its money from charity and from private insurance and now.

Maybe Cleveland clinic will have to pay a penalty it's absurd.

Why -- doing this they're trying to scare them the hospitals into what keeping the patients longer not discharging them I mean can there ever be a true.

Clean bill of health when you get to.

-- from the hospital stay not if you have these kind of diagnoses look I can make -- -- say the government's part is in the right place in this case.

But the fact of the matter is medicine can't be practiced this way because it's got to be -- -- -- -- also doctors are gonna run from patients with this problem.

-- -- -- -- all heart failure my hospitals gonna get on my back give that patient comes back to -- were already being pressured to send patients out early.

It's called diagnostic related groups with shortening and shortening hospital stays and would get really good.

And and this is this is all related to Medicare so it's Medicare patients who -- -- issue so it's the older folks who may be.

Giving the doctors a bit of a scare now when a doctor PGP it's an older person he needs to worry about this.

Yes absolutely especially -- older patient and especially with baby boomers coming in and I really want the viewers to understand the penalty isn't just for those diagnoses.

So in my hospital gets penalized for too many heart failure emissions.

They paid a 1% tax.

If it is 1% all across the board for all their Medicare reimbursements going forward and that's gonna go up to 2% and 3%.

Hundreds -- hospitals and they pay this fine to the -- and then they have directed it past the final long -- in terms of higher.

You know they charges more for other services -- what happens -- -- they get that money back or do they just eat it.

Well I think that they're gonna have to figure that out -- -- because hospitals want to preserve their bottom -- so they will charge more for other services and they will.

Try to build private insurers more who will bench turn around and charges higher premiums so the idea of saving health care -- doesn't actually work this.

A crazy question this is crazy question but is it possible somebody was discharged and had a heart attack and -- what that brought back to set hospital and ambulance having another heart attack.

Having a heart attack could the hospital say out we're not admitting new because we that you're gonna you know cost us up by -- They're gonna be very worried about seeing that patient and not allowed to do that on the federal law that I can kind of readmit the patient but.

They're gonna try really hard to avoid this and it's gonna lead to total chaos in the emergency rooms.

Because you know some think sometimes hospital hospitals are sending patients out too soon sometimes treated shade of if the F sometimes they shouldn't be readmitted but sometimes there's very good reason why they're being readmitted I don't think this is the right place.

To draw the line in the -- I've said from the beginning if you -- -- cut down on Medicare cost stop the -- when patients aren't really sick the worried well.

When patients are sick let's let's take care of them.

Isn't -- gonna keep Medicare patients in the hospital for longer on the -- go around because the hospital -- -- -- so concerned about -- charities and they sure.

Isn't that I run make you one thing when they come and consult us here because that's something they should've thought about that the overall costs are going to be higher as a result others.

Well on an island coming up from -- -- lawyer who is always you know the -- that there always were worried about how to gonna get sued how to prevent getting sued and you know it's like well might as well build a couple -- wings and these hospitals because if I were advising a doctorate say whatever you do don't district for -- actually certain prisons completely healthy.

I agree with that and I don't worry about hospital -- first -- -- we're about helping the patient and what does the administration consult actual practicing doctors like.

Jack I got to go out thank you -- -- coming up.

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