HJAR May/Jun 2022

A little insight into the hospital Medicare payment struggle: In this recent letter to the federal government, Southern hospital associations are pleading for the reinstatement of a small correction to Medicare Area Wage Index (AWI), which benefited hospitals in their states. Medicare’s budget- neutral calculation pits richer states, whose hospitals don’t feel they are paid enough, against poorer states whose hospitals are definitely not. Thus, nobody is happy. The current setup has richer states fighting any attempt to create equity or equality in Medicare payments across the country. HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS I  MAY / JUN 2022 15