54% Of Hospitals In Medicare’s Value-Based Purchasing Program Faced Downward Payment Adjustments In 2014

For federal fiscal year 2014, about 54% of the 2,682 hospitals participating in the Medicare Hospital Value-Based Purchasing (VBP) payment program received a downward payment adjustment. The 1,451 hospitals receiving lower rates had lower scores on the 24 quality measures tracked by the VBP program. The remaining 1,231 hospitals received a payment increase. Under the VBP program, which started October 1, 2012, Medicare withholds a percentage of acute-care hospital payments and puts the money into a value-based purchasing pool. Hospitals submit quality data for the prior performance year, which determines whether the next year . . .