Drake Center Shares Insights to Improve the Medicare Payment System

Drake Center is working with other healthcare providers nationwide to assist the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in its efforts to evaluate the costs and resources associated with treating medically complex patients. The ultimate goal is to improve the Medicare payment system and explore models for healthcare reform.

"There has been significant dialogue nationally related to caring for medically complex patients and how that relates to healthcare reform," says Karen Bankston, Senior Vice President at Drake. "Drake Center is an example of an organization that has carefully structured itself to meet the region's long-term, complex care needs. Participating in this initiative enables us to quantify and share our experience and expertise with others nationally."

The initiative, called the "Medicare Payment Reform Demonstration," is being led by RTI International, a research company representing CMS. Demonstration participants include representatives from acute care hospitals, long-term acute care hospitals (such as Drake), inpatient rehabilitation facilities, skilled nursing facilities and home health agencies. The demonstration will provide CMS with standardized information about patient health and functional status and will examine resources and outcomes associated with treatment in each type of setting.

Good information about resource use within each setting will help CMS better understand differences in patient treatment, outcomes and current costs of care in order to create appropriate payment reform recommendations. The study concludes October 31, 2010 and the CMS report will go to Congress January 2011.

For more information about the Medicare Payment Reform Demonstration.

Drake Center is a not-for-profit, long-term acute care hospital providing both medically complex and rehabilitative care, transitional skilled nursing care, assisted living, research, and various outpatient and wellness services.

For more information, visit www.DrakeCenter.com or call 513-418-2500.