News: AHA releases hospital underpayment, uncompensated care fact sheets

The American Hospital Association (AHA) released two fact sheets this month highlighting the plight of inadequate hospital reimbursements by the government. In one, the AHA states that Medicare and Medicaid underpaid hospitals $56 billion in 2012; with Medicare reimbursing 86 cents to the dollar compared to Medicaid’s 89 cents. A separate report points to overall uncompensated care provided by hospitals—i.e., funding for care provided that patients cannot or will not pay—valued at $45.9 billion or about 6% of the total hospital expenses in 2012. The report states that total uncompensated care has cost upwards of $413 billion since 2000.