Covid Data

[NWADawg]

Sorry for starting another one. I got to see a member of the in law family I haven't seen in a while this weekend. Of course Covid came up eventually. He told me that 3 people close to him have died in the last couple months. All 3 had Covid listed as cause of death. None of them were in the hospital for Covid or died of Covid. This is from personal conversations with the families and not someone's uncles told someone's cousin's girlfriend thing. 2 of the families have contacted lawyers to see what next steps are because they are angry.

1. Are hospitals really getting extra funding based on number of Covid deaths? I assumed that was rumors but am starting to question again.

2. How can anyone at any level make an educated decision regarding Covid if the data is completely ludicrous?

 

[kired]

I believe the only truth to the rumor is that the government will pay a 20% premium for Medicare patients with Covid. That was part of the cares act, and from what I understand it's due to extra cost of caring for a Covid patient. Even if you're in the hospital for something unrelated to Covid - if you have the virus, they still have to take the additional precautions when caring for you.

https://www.denverpost.com/2020/05/20/coronavirus-covid-medicare-payments-hospitals/

 

[Dawg1976]

I don't know. A friend's wife died a few weeks ago and she had multiple problems. I figured she was a prime candidate to be categorized as a cv19 death but he said her death certificate did not reference it. She was a diabetic and had congestive heart failure just to name a couple of her problems. But I can believe some cases probably are tagged cv19 when it may be not be.

 

[Len2003]

No hospital is getting money for a Covid death. They get extra Medicare money because more labor and PPE is required to care for these parents. The extra money does not offset the expenses in many cases, and it definitely doesn't offset the cost of canceling elective procedures. Covid patients drain hospitals financially, and there is no incentive for hospitals to take care of these patients. This is why some hospitals have been diverting Covid patients elsewhere. The hospitals can't make a profit off of these patients.

 

[Len2003]

Sorry for starting another one. I got to see a member of the in law family I haven't seen in a while this weekend. Of course Covid came up eventually. He told me that 3 people close to him have died in the last couple months. All 3 had Covid listed as cause of death. None of them were in the hospital for Covid or died of Covid. This is from personal conversations with the families and not someone's uncles told someone's cousin's girlfriend thing. 2 of the families have contacted lawyers to see what next steps are because they are angry.

1. Are hospitals really getting extra funding based on number of Covid deaths? I assumed that was rumors but am starting to question again.

2. How can anyone at any level make an educated decision regarding Covid if the data is completely ludicrous?

Has he personally seen the death certificates, and does he know how to read the death certificates? This doesn't sound like first-hand information. More information is needed.

 

[HailStout]

I have personally filled out multiple death certificates for COVID deaths. They all died from COVID. For me to put down otherwise would be beyond unethical. Although not every physician out there is the mode of ethics, the amount it would take to be engaged in a conspiracy to increase hospital reimbursement would be staggering. I can also tell you that if COVID stopped tomorrow my hospital would be ecstatic.

 

[ronpolk]

No hospital is getting money for a Covid death. They get extra Medicare money because more labor and PPE is required to care for these parents. The extra money does not offset the expenses in many cases, and it definitely doesn't offset the cost of canceling elective procedures. Covid patients drain hospitals financially, and there is no incentive for hospitals to take care of these patients. This is why some hospitals have been diverting Covid patients elsewhere. The hospitals can't make a profit off of these patients.

Exactly!

This whole idea that hospitals are manipulating stuff to get money for covid is crazy. Hospitals are losing millions of dollars. If covid keeps going, there will absolutely be hospitals that fail because of this.

 

[aTotal360]

It's partially true. They do get higher medicare reimbursements for covid cases. I'm sure there are other financial benefits too.

 

[engie]

Among locations that I'm inclined to believe are at least attempting to tell the truth, the only place in the world you will get an honest accounting of who COVID actually killed is Germany IMO.

 

[dudehead]

I can't imagine hospitals deliberating coding non-covid deaths as covid deaths to get higher reimbursements. Medicare and/or Medicaid fraud is an onerus charge to defend and can jeopardize the future income of any hospital that takes significant Medicare/Medicaid patients.

 

[Leeshouldveflanked]

A well known realtor in Tupelo has filed legal papers to get Covid removed from his wife’s cause of death.... there was a similar case around Batesville MS as well...

 

[MadDawg.sixpack]

Exactly!

This whole idea that hospitals are manipulating stuff to get money for covid is crazy. Hospitals are losing millions of dollars. If covid keeps going, there will absolutely be hospitals that fail because of this.

So hospitals are going under caring for Covid patients, but the notion that they may be manipulating the numbers a little (or a lot) to help offset those losses with higher reimbursements is unimaginable? I don't know if it's really happening or not, but I certainly see the incentive to do so.

 

[msstate7]

A well known realtor in Tupelo has filed legal papers to get Covid removed from his wife’s cause of death.... there was a similar case around Batesville MS as well...

Is there a reason to fight this? Just curious

 

[ronpolk]

So hospitals are going under caring for Covid patients, but the notion that they may be manipulating the numbers a little (or a lot) to help offset those losses with higher reimbursements is unimaginable? I don't know if it's really happening or not, but I certainly see the incentive to do so.

The incentive is not big enough for hospitals to be manipulating the data. The cost of PPE is about triple what it was before covid. The amount of PPE that is required on to treat covid patients is much higher than normal. So, If you’re using twice as much PPE and it costs three times as much, that 20% extra payment does not cover it.

Fact is that hospitals have way more incentive for no covid vs more covid.

 

[Go Budaw]

Sorry for starting another one. I got to see a member of the in law family I haven't seen in a while this weekend. Of course Covid came up eventually. He told me that 3 people close to him have died in the last couple months. All 3 had Covid listed as cause of death. None of them were in the hospital for Covid or died of Covid. This is from personal conversations with the families and not someone's uncles told someone's cousin's girlfriend thing. 2 of the families have contacted lawyers to see what next steps are because they are angry.

1. Are hospitals really getting extra funding based on number of Covid deaths? I assumed that was rumors but am starting to question again.

2. How can anyone at any level make an educated decision regarding Covid if the data is completely ludicrous?

Nope.

 

[mstateglfr]

Sorry for starting another one. I got to see a member of the in law family I haven't seen in a while this weekend. Of course Covid came up eventually. He told me that 3 people close to him have died in the last couple months.

This is from personal conversations with the families and not someone's uncles told someone's cousin's girlfriend thing.

It isnt someone's uncle told someone's cousin's girlfriend.
Instead, its someone's relative told a friend who then told a relative.

 

[Leeshouldveflanked]

Is there a reason to fight this? Just curious

Honesty.

 

[My Bru]

So hospitals are going under caring for Covid patients, but the notion that they may be manipulating the numbers a little (or a lot) to help offset those losses with higher reimbursements is unimaginable? I don't know if it's really happening or not, but I certainly see the incentive to do so.

You cracked the code MadDawg. Bottom line, the whole medical field just doesn't want to screw with it. I can't blame them, but still, they'd rather cancel life than have to deal with the additional covid ****. I haven't trusted much to come out of that field over this, and I still don't. It's not about "saving lives" and never has been.

I mean look, none of us are happy about this crap. But now that it's here and we have to deal with it, I'd rather inconvenience the medical field rather than our whole society, and they should be compensated as such. But that hasn't happened.