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Uncompensated care costs top $30 billion

Case Management Weekly, November 6, 2007

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Hospitals provided $31.2 billion in uncompensated care in 2006, according to new figures from the American Hospital Association (AHA). That's a rise of 8% over 2005 figures and a more than 40% leap on 2000.

The association's Annual Survey of Hospitals also found that the gap between Medicare/Medicaid reimbursement and treatment costs had widened - combined underpayments went from $4 billion in 2000 to $30 billion in 2006. That left hospitals with reimbursement of 86 cents for every dollar spent on Medicaid patients and 91 cents for those with Medicare.

AHA President and CEO Rich Umbdenstock told AHANewsNow that the data "show what we've been hearing from the field - that hospitals are seeing more and more patients while future financing is uncertain."

Source: American Hospital Association

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