Senator Dr. Scott Jensen: Right now Medicare is determining that if you have a COVID-19 admission to the hospital you get $13,000. If that COVID-19 patient goes on a ventilator you get $39,000, three times as much. Nobody can tell me after 35 years in the world of medicine that sometimes those kinds of things impact on what we do.
Any patient upgraded to a ventilator will incur a much higher cost. That amount is somewhat variable. Dr. Jensen, a family medicine physician may not have considered this.
It's a somewhat difficult topic as there are really no "set prices". Admission in a rural hospital ICU will have a different reimbursement than one in a major city or in an academic medical center receiving federal financial funding supplementation.
There most likely **is **a higher premium for COVID patients vs "standard" patients but I'm not sure what that premium is or how it is calculated. It is the right question to ask either way though...
Hard to believe this doesn't factor into the diagnosed case numbers.
this is disturbing:
He also said Docs were being coached to admit as COVID-19 patients WITHOUT testing. $$$
and the chance of leaving the hospital alive drops to less than 20% once they put you on one of those things, it helps the models look better.
O2 or a CPAP will cause less lung damage.
Like hospitals need another reason to pad a bill
Any patient upgraded to a ventilator will incur a much higher cost. That amount is somewhat variable. Dr. Jensen, a family medicine physician may not have considered this.
fair point, would be interested to know the difference between normal and COVID payout for a vent.
It's a somewhat difficult topic as there are really no "set prices". Admission in a rural hospital ICU will have a different reimbursement than one in a major city or in an academic medical center receiving federal financial funding supplementation.
There most likely **is **a higher premium for COVID patients vs "standard" patients but I'm not sure what that premium is or how it is calculated. It is the right question to ask either way though...