Hospital Faces Reduced Medicare Payments

Antelope Valley Hospital will face reduced Medicare payments based on a health care quality score, according to the Antelope Valley Press. It is one of 769 hospitals across the country that will receive less government funding for having higher instances of potentially avoidable patient infections and complications. Under the Affordable Care Act – also known as Obamacare – the Department of Health and Human Services is required to lower reimbursements to certain hospitals with poor total hospital-acquired condition scores, which is based on a scale of 1 to 10. The Lancaster hospital scored a 6.94 for the 2017 reimbursement year and was also penalized in both prior years. Other Valley hospitals being dinged for problematic patient conditions include Northridge Hospital and Medical Center and Sun Valley-based Pacifica Hospital of the Valley, according to the Antelope Valley Press.