No reimbusement if patient satisfaction score are low?

[preemieRNkate, RN]

At a recent staff meeting, our NM told us that Medicaid will not be reimbursing if the patient satisfaction scores are less than a certain percentage. I am not totally clear on what she was talking about, and wanted to know if anyone else has heard anything similiar? I just don't see how they can't pay for things just because someone said they didn't like the food at the hospital (not quoting or anything, just throwing some of the ridiculous responses we get out there). I just feel like we weren't getting the whole story from her.

It's no surprise to me that our patient satisfaction scores are not great, and many of the nurses feel that it's a trickle-down effect. Our recent nursing satisfaction survey results were very poor for our unit. The survey was given right after a terrible run of understaffing with a high census. And we have not been happy with our management for a long time anyway. We have told the NM that we feel that when the parents see the nurses aren't happy, they won't be happy either. She also told us what our overall scores were for the past year, and there is a direct correlation with what the census was at the time and what the staffing was at the time.

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

At a recent staff meeting, our NM told us that Medicaid will not be reimbusing if the patient satisfaction scores are less than a certain percentage.

Horsehockey. Medicaid payment is not tied anyway to satisfaction scores.

It IS tied to patient quality scores in some states for bonus pay. Both Medicare and Medicaid starting not to pay for hospital mistakes or hospital acquired conditions. This should force facilities to improve staffing ---if they are paying attention.

[preemieRNkate, RN]

Horsehockey. Medicaid payment is not tied anyway to satisfaction scores.

It IS tied to patient quality scores in some states for bonus pay. Both Medicare and Medicaid starting not to pay for hospital mistakes or hospital acquired conditions. This should force facilities to improve staffing ---if they are paying attention.

See, I didn't think we were getting the whole story. I think she was trying to "scare" us into trying to improve our patient satisfaction scores. When I asked her what they wouldn't be paying for, she started talking about some of the specific questions on the survey like, did the medical staff show you the baby in the delivery room? I know I always try to let the parents take at least a quick peek at the baby before going to NICU, but if I just coded your baby, I want to get the heck out of there and over to NICU pretty darn quick. I KNOW parents are not going to be happy about that, because it is not the ideal situation. And because you didn't get to hold your baby right away and then you give us a low score on your survey, now we're not going to get paid for medical procedures? Didn't make any sense to me.

The NM never really answered my questions, and I probably never will get a straight answer out of her. I was hoping that someone here could give me some answers, so thank you!

[SteveNNP, MSN, NP]

Just another example of management shifting their problems and responsibilities onto the staff. Satisfied staff = satisfied patients/families

Every hospital would be bankrupt in a few days if Medicaid based payment on scores. They are planning on refusing to pay for preventable conditions such as hospital-acquired infections though...

[dawngloves, BSN, RN]

:lol2:That's a good one! It's more like they won't get a J.P Morgan award and management won't get a bonus!

[preemieRNkate, RN]

Well, we certainly won't be getting Magnet status anytime soon, that's for sure!

[dawngloves, BSN, RN]

Ooops! I meant JD Powers. :chuckle

[littlepeach]

We were recently told that if our satisfaction scores are not up to par, then our annual raises will be affected. Sounds that administration all over the country is trying to nail us all in one way or another.

[VivaLasViejas, ASN, RN]

What a load of horse-pucky!!

So glad I don't work in a hospital anymore. The idea that management would try to serve up a pile of garbage like that shows how little respect they have for the nursing staff. Ye gawds.

[herring_RN, ASN, BSN]

When the hospital management fails the provide sufficient staff nursing staff cannot care for their patients, housekeepers cannot keep the place clean, dietary cannot bring hot food (and nursing can't deliver it before it cools), call lignts are not answered soon enough and not only are satisfaction scores low more patients suffer and die (failure to rescue).

Then they blame the staff for not being superhuman.

The public needs to know this!

[RainDreamer, BSN, RN]

Yeah that didn't sound right.

Shame on your manager for trying to scare you with that bologna!!

We've had perfect scores the last few months. When we get perfect scores we get 5 bucks (WOO HOO!) to spend at Starbucks or the cafeteria. Scare tactics just make people mad ...... bribery works well though

[canoehead, BSN, RN]

I found it really amazing when I moved between several hospitals a few years ago. One ER claimed they wouldn't get reimbursed if we didn't do about 20 things that the other ER was not required to do. Totally throwing nursing a line so they would abide by the bosses preferences.

The third ER I worked at didn't have meds or sharps locked up, equipment in every room that was supposedly illegal in other hospitals, and patients routinely going to the floor or being discharged with NO nurses' notes or charting. Literally a blank page, but they were charging for the same things everyone else was. Clearly charting does not count as heavily for reimbursement as I have been told, or that hospital would have been belly up long ago.

I would LOVE to know what charting affects IRL - not what the suits say it does. The hospital has a 50/50 Medicare/private insurance mix, and is JCAHO certified.