Another Kick in the Pocket...5/11

CMS* is also transitioning from basing DRG weights on hospital charges to estimated hospital costs. Studies by the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission have indicated that hospitals charge significantly more than their costs for some types of services, such as medical supplies and radiology. As a result, certain services are relatively more profitable, potentially contributing to the development of specialty hospitals which focus on high margin conditions. By basing DRG weights on estimated costs, rather than hospital charges, hospital payments will be more closely aligned with the actual costs of patient care, and the incentive for hospitals to take higher margin cases will be reduced. In October 2006, CMS began to phase in the new cost-based weights. The phase-in will take three years.

*Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Remember the link to the comparison of procedure and treatments for Texas hospitals? Well, Paris came out higher than many, in some cases higher than most. This might just pull that rug out from under Hud.

It might give Open Imaging more of a run for their money, since they charge significantly less for procedures than the hospital...however, they(OI) still have newer equipment, and reports are usually available that day, rather than that month....

It might even slow some of the Dallas flight, but where would you rather have treatment: Baylor, or here? They are lower in cost than PRMC in a lot of things, and if all costs were equal....

There are some that think that the blog is aimed at the employees of the hospital. No, it is aimed to those employees that are trapped by circumstances in a poor situation. We don't blame you for having to stay here (...boy, can we relate...) but, we either want to generate a change in attitude, or a change in ownership.

Dick's last hospital, you know, the one that went bankrupt, was bought by a physician consortium...and no more Dicky. We got him. Maybe we could follow their lead? ...hint, hint....

Why Monopoly images? Just remember the quote from Essent: "We hope to make this 'the' hospital in the region...."