Medicare is Penalizing 62 Missouri Hospitals for a Variety of Reasons

Medicare is cutting payments to 62 Missouri hospitals for having high rates of patient readmissions, infections and injuries. The penalties are based on Medicare patients who had originally been treated for heart failure, heart attack, pneumonia, chronic lung disease, hip and knee replacement or coronary artery bypass graft surgery. For the readmission penalties, Medicare cut as much as three-percent for each patient, although the average is generally much lower. Patient safety cuts cost Missouri hospitals one-percent of Medicare payments through next September. In 2019, Medicare penalized the same number of Missouri hospitals for the same reasons. The hospitals in Northwest Missouri that will be affected by these penalties are Cameron Regional Medical Center, St Lukes North in Kansas City, Mosaic Life Care at St. Joseph, SSM Health St. Francis Hospital in Maryville, and the New Liberty Hospital District.