(February 2022) – As Kansas Hospital Association members know, hospital and health system finance and reimbursement are complex and affect access to care in communities across Kansas. KHA works diligently on behalf of our members in this important strategic area.
In December, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services began distributing approximately $9 million in CARES Act Phase-4 funding. In Kansas, 721 providers will receive a total of $111,482,742. KHA will continue to monitor the distribution and financial reporting. If you have questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to us.
KHA also provides a variety of financial analysis tools to help hospitals achieve budget and financial goals. Among those analysis reports, KHA releases a projection forecast on the impact of the Medicare proposed and final rules. The analysis not only provides our hospitals with a financial impact report but also a brief summary highlighting the changes to payment rates and regulations that come with the implementation of new policies. In correlation with the inpatient and outpatient prospective payment systems' financial impact reports, analysis reports are distributed showing financial gains and losses related to quality-based incentive programs such as hospital-acquired conditions, value-based purchasing and the Readmission Reduction Program.
To support our Critical Access and Small Rural Hospitals, operational and comparative report distribution focuses on possible Medicare regulatory cuts potentially impacting reimbursement, along with a yearly Critical Access and Small Rural Hospital Databook. The databook provides individual hospitals with comparative financial ratios/metrics compared to various state and U.S. benchmark groups.
Besides the 18 yearly financial analysis reports distributed to our members, KHA provides quick financial analysis for a variety of crucial regulatory proposals that may significantly impact hospitals' financial status. A variety of those analytic reports include oncology care models, organ acquisition analysis, and wage index and occupational mix analysis.
Health care finance and reimbursement will continue to be a top issue for KHA and its members. There continue to be ongoing opportunities for health reform and hospital engagement on these issues to help Kansans achieve better access, affordability and equity. Let our team at KHA know if you have questions or need additional resources.