Tools Calculate MS-DRG Payments

HDM Breaking News, October 27, 2008

Online reimbursement calculators that enable hospitals to compare their costs to reimbursement under the Medicare Severity Diagnosis Related Group system are available through Premier Inc., a group purchasing organization for hospitals.

Available for cardiovascular, orthopedic and spine implants, the in-house developed calculators can help reduce the number of inaccurate claims that lower Medicare reimbursement without affecting the quality of care, according to the San Diego-based alliance.

The calculators automatically compare national average reimbursement rates to the payment for a particular MS-DRG. Hospitals can populate their own reimbursement rates and generate a customized report. The calculators also track reimbursement trends by showing the percentage and dollar amount changes in payments from year to year.

The calculators can be accessed on the contract launch Web site pages and the category specific Advisor pages at premierinc.com.

For more information on related topics, visit the following channels:

• Business Intelligence
• Policies/Regulation
• Revenue Cycle Management
• Web Technology
• Hospitals
• Payers