Report: Michigan hospitals shorted $130K per COVID-19 patient in federal aid

[demmiblue]

7. Apparently, the distribution of funds was based on 2019 Medicare fee-for-service reimbursements:

10Figure 3. Data fromHHSB.Initial Distribution Did Not Account for COVID-19 Cases and Greatest Need In addition to the initial delays and confusion, the first $30 billion tranche of emergency financial relief to hospitals was based upon 2019 Medicare fee-for-service reimbursements. This formula did not factor in whether a medical facility was in a hot spot area for COVID-19 and also excluded many rural hospitals.32As a result, the first general distribution payments contained massive inequities. Areas hit hardest by the virus and in greatest need of funding to stabilize their finances received many times less per COVID-19 patient than others.

It is a completely incompetent administration. New Jersey received $16,843 per patient, while North Dakota received $327,570.