America's Hospitals: In Danger or Bouncing Back?
Slide Presentation by Terri Coughlin, M.P.H.
On November 20, 2002, Terri Coughlin, M.P.H., made a presentation in a Web-assisted teleconference at Event 2, which was entitled "Hospital Uncompensated Care Issues."
This is the text version of Ms. Coughlin's slide presentation. Select to access the PowerPoint® slides (183 KB).
Hospital Uncompensated Care Issues
Terri Coughlin, M.P.H.
Senior Research Associate
The Urban Institute
Slide 1
Background and Purpose of Medicaid DSH Program
- In 1981 Congress mandated Medicaid DSH payments.
- $15 billion spent on DSH payments in 2001.
- Purpose:
- Maintain access for low-income.
- Provide financial help to hospitals serving large numbers of low-income patients.
- Single biggest public program to help hospitals cover UC costs.
Slide 2
How Does a DSH Program Work?
- Each state is different.
- States largely determine design.
- Which hospitals get DSH.
- Allocation among hospitals.
- DSH payment methodology.
- Number of DSH programs.
- Federal DSH spending is capped.
- States have preset federal DSH allotments.
Slide 3
DSH Payments to Hospitals
- Nationally, 80% go to acute care hospitals, with most going to county-owned
or private hospitals.
- 20% to mental hospitals.
- Distribution varies by state.
Slide 4
Key Issues in DSH Program
- Highly controversial issue between federal government and states.
- How states raise their share of DSH payments.
- What share of DSH payments stick with hospitals.
- Distribution of federal DSH dollars across states.
- Several federal DSH reforms in 1990s.
- Sometimes controversial issue within a state.
- Among hospitals.
- Between state and hospitals.
Slide 5
Steps That States Can Take To Make Best Use of DSH Funding
- Ensure state is spending its federal allotment.
- Ensure "true" safety net providers receive enough DSH payments.
- Change DSH eligibility or allocation formulas.
- Impose conditions on hospitals getting DSH.
- E.g. must provide certain amount of free care or primary care.
- Encourage hospital innovation.
- CO, IN, MI and TX use DSH to fund "insurance-like" programs
for uninsured.
Slide 6
New Federal DSH Provisions
- In 2003 cutbacks in federal DSH spending.
- More than $1 billion; affect 35 states.
- In 2003 hospital-specific cap is expanded.
- States can pay public hospitals 150% of UC costs, rather than usual 100%.
- Implications.
- Less money for UC.
- Better targeting of DSH funds with 150% option.
Slide 7
Possible Federal Medicaid DSH Reforms
- Make it more akin to Medicare DSH.
- Reallocate federal share of DSH.
- National formula for state distribution.
- Distribution on state need (e.g. number of low-income persons) and
fiscal capacity.
- National formula for hospital allocation.
Slide 8
Strategies to Help Prevent UC costs
- Promote insurance initiatives—Medicaid, SCHIP, HIFA waiver, ESI.
- Encourage use of primary care.
- Expand network of community health centers (RHCs, FQHCs).
Slide 9
Other Ways to Help Pay for Hospital UC
- Medicaid
- Increase general Medicaid reimbursement.
- Medicaid upper payment limit (UPL) strategies.
- Increase state/local hospital subsidies.
Slide 10
Major Differences Between Medicare DSH and Medicaid DSH
- Size: Medicaid DSH 3 times larger than Medicare ($15 billion versus $5 billion).
- Federal funding: Limited for Medicaid; no limits for Medicare.
- Formula: Medicaid no national formula; national for Medicare.
- State role: Large for Medicaid; virtually no state role in Medicare.
Current as of June 2003
Internet Citation:
Hospital Uncompensated Care Issues. Slide Presentation by Teresa Coughlin, at Web-Assisted Teleconference, "America's Hospitals: In Danger or Bouncing Back?" Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/news/ulp/hospital/coughlintxt.htm
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