Change coming to Medicare reimbursement formula

As part of the new health care law, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is revamping its reimbursement system for Medicare participants.

The new rules include “value based purchasing,” which will pay doctors and hospitals based on the quality of care they provide rather than the quantity. Furthermore, what patients report about hospital stays will also be taken into account in hospitals’ reimbursement rates.

Adherence to quality care measures will account for 70 percent of the payment formula, while patient satisfaction surveys will make up the remaining 30 percent. Also considered in the formula will be such things as emergency room wait time and the rate at which inpatients contract infections.