Swing-bed hospital cost and reimbursement.
Small rural hospitals can provide long-term care in acute care beds as part of the National Swing-Bed Program enacted in 1980. Medicare reimbursement for swing-bed care is based on the incremental cost concept. This article estimates the incremental cost to hospitals of swing-bed care and assesses the adequacy of swing-bed reimbursement in light of those estimates. Other swing-bed reimbursement policy issues are discussed, including payment for ancillary services, potential bundling of routine and ancillary reimbursement, and the possible incorporation of case mix into swing-bed payment determination.
Schlenker
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School of Medicine, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver 80222.
Shaughnessy
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PW
D000720:Ancillary Services, Hospital / Q000191:economics; D001508:Bed Conversion / Q000191:economics*; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D003625:Data Collection; D006275:Health Facility Planning / Q000191:economics*; D006761:Hospitals; D006780:Hospitals, Rural / Q000191:economics*; D007349:Insurance, Health, Reimbursement / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007353:Insurance, Long-Term Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006278:Medicare / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009735:Nursing Homes / Q000191:economics; D012044:Regression Analysis; D014481:United States