Tenet :Philadelphia-area hospitals relying on extra Medicare

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

Six Tenet Healthcare Corp. hospitals in the Philadelphia area received more than $107 million in extra payments from Medicare last year. Tenet's success nationwide in getting extra Medicare funds has triggered a federal audit and has helped cause its stock to sink in recent weeks.

Philadelphia Inquirer, Nov. 17, 2002

http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/business/4535983.htm

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

See article from Institue for Health and Socioeconomic Policy--found at CNA.org.

US Hospitals: Utilizing or Exploiting Medicare Outliers?

http://cna.igc.org/outliers/

Note that National outliner payment =3.5%. In PA average is 3.2%. Per Inquirer article, Philadelphia area Tenet facilities with 11%---all city hospitals so could expect that. However, hospital system in my backyard Crozer Keystone System has 33% rate while others in my area are 3-5%----guess who will knocking at their door.

Glad when I code my agency's DRG's/DX I can sleep soundly at night.