Samaritan may lose some Medicaid funding

MOSES LAKE - Samaritan Healthcare is on a preliminary list of hospitals that could lose 1 percent of their Medicare funding because of a higher rate of "patient complications" than similar hospitals. Samaritan is on the list with three incidents in the evaluation periods.

Samaritan Chief Executive Officer Tom Thompson said officials don't know yet how much the penalty would cost the hospital.

A final list is scheduled to be released sometime in August, Laurie Polneau, the hospital's quality improvement manager, said.

The final report will include a longer time period, so the ratings may change, Thompson said.

The preliminary report covered hospital operations from July 2011 to July 2013 for some procedures, and 2012-13 for others. During that time the hospital had two "deep vein thrombosis," or blood clots, between July 2011 and July 2013, out of 138 patients. Samaritan had one infection attributed to catheter use in 2012 and 2013.

That earned the hospital a 9 rating, out of 10. Hospitals that have ratings above 7 will lose 1 percent of Medicaid payments during the fiscal year 2014-15 (October to October).

Thompson said hospital officials don't know how three incidents added up to such a high rating. "We're trying to figure out how the math works on this," he said.

Polneau said Samaritan is considered a relatively small hospital, so any incidents can have a disproportionate impact on its statistics.

The way hospitals are evaluated is changing, Thompson said, and the quality of the service provided is becoming more important. More and more, Thompson said, quality of treatment is being factored into reimbursement. "We are measured and measured like never before," he said.

In his opinion, it's a good idea, he said. "Honestly, I can't think of a better way to incentivize us," he said.

Hospitals designated as Critical Access aren't part of the program, Thompson said. Othello Community Hospital, Quincy Valley Medical Center and Columbia Basin Hospital in Ephrata are Critical Access facilities.