Critical access hospitals: views on how Medicare payment and other factors affect behavioral health services : report to congressional committees

Critical access hospitals: views on how Medicare payment and other factors affect behavioral health services : report to congressional committees

Collection:
Health Policy and Services Research
Alternate Title(s):
Views on how Medicare payment and other factors affect behavioral health services
Contributor(s):
United States. Government Accountability Office, issuing body.
Publication:
Washington, DC : United States Government Accountability Office, June 2023
Language(s):
English
Format:
Text
Subject(s):
Government Regulation
Hospitals, Rural
Legislation, Medical
Medicare
Mental Health Services
United States
Genre(s):
Technical Report
Abstract:
Why GAO did this study. As of March 2023, there were 1,365 CAHs nationwide, according to officials from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Medicare FFS pays CAHs based on their costs for most services, which may be greater than predetermined fixed amounts that other hospitals are paid. However, services provided in psychiatric units are not paid based on costs and are instead paid through Medicare’s prospective payment system. This has led to questions about whether Medicare payment policies make it difficult for CAHs to meet Medicare beneficiaries’ behavioral health needs. House Report 116-450 includes a provision for GAO to review the behavioral health services provided by CAHs. This report describes (1) how selected CAHs provide behavioral health services and (2) selected CAHs’ and stakeholders’ views on how Medicare FFS payment policies and other factors affect CAHs’ ability to provide these services. GAO interviewed officials from 10 CAHs selected to reflect variation in geography and the settings in which they offer behavioral health services. GAO also interviewed stakeholders from six organizations that advocate for, or conduct research on, CAHs or rural hospitals, as well as officials from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. In addition, GAO reviewed federal laws, regulations, and agency policy documents.
Copyright:
The National Library of Medicine believes this item to be in the public domain. (More information)
Extent:
1 online resource (1 PDF file (i, 22 pages))
NLM Unique ID:
9918681586106676 (See catalog record)
Permanent Link:
http://resource.nlm.nih.gov/9918681586106676