Transfers of hospitalized psychiatric patients under Medicare's prospective payment system.
Medicare's reimbursement policy provides payment incentives for hospitals to transfer psychiatric patients to another acute-care facility, especially when the destination facility is exempt from Medicare's prospective payment system. The authors found, however, that transfers were relatively infrequent in 1985, accounting for only approximately 3.4% of all psychiatric hospitalizations under Medicare. The most common type of transfer was from a nonspecialized general hospital bed to a Medicare-exempt psychiatric unit within the same hospital. Given that increasing financial pressures may result in a rise in the number of transfers, the authors discuss potential reforms of Medicare reimbursement for these cases.
Health Economics Research, Inc., Needham, Mass.
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Freiman
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Sederer
D014487:Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, U.S.; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000191:economics*; D006769:Hospitals, General; D006778:Hospitals, Psychiatric; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000191:economics; D006278:Medicare / Q000191:economics*; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000191:economics / Q000628:therapy*; D010360:Patient Transfer / Q000191:economics*; D011445:Prospective Payment System / Q000191:economics*; D011567:Psychiatric Department, Hospital; D014481:United States