Peeling Back The Health Care Onion

“Colorado hospitals statewide are paid an average of 290% of Medicare for inpatient services and 520% of Medicare for outpatient services…………………”

Bob Smith, Executive Director of the Colorado Business Group on Health, posted the following on Linkedin today:

The 2018 MedPAC report to Congress stated that hospital net margins in 2016 were near the 2015 record for the past 30 years, primarily because of private sector payments. MedPAC further reported that efficient hospitals break even on Medicare.

Using data from the APCD, we worked with CIVHC to evaluate hospital payments in Colorado as a percent of what Medicare pays. The results?

☐ Colorado hospitals statewide are paid an average of 290% of Medicare for inpatient services and 520% of Medicare for outpatient services.

☐ Regionally, hospital prices vary from… – 242% to 346% of Medicare for in-patient services. – 324% to 694% of Medicare for out-patient services.

Meanwhile, more than half of our schools operate on a four day week because of lack of adequate funding and Colorado ranks 41st in early childhood spending