I'm not sure I have enough information to propose a solution. All I am saying (for the fourth time now) is that there is certainly a problem with the way the CARES funding encourages hospitals and providers to report COVID patients and deaths.
And Medicare funding payment structures also encourage hospitals to report many other conditions when diagnosed to get an additional payment. Hospitals need to submit medical proof to get the payments. How is this any different than COVID. Or do you believe that no matter what a Medicare patient is placed in the hospital for.... the medical institution should only list it as a common cold... and refuse to accept additional money for advanced illnesses that require a higher level of care.
If a patient is COVID positive with a verifiable test, and the hospital is entitled to payment, they should get the payment. If a patient dies FROM COVID (an audited death certificate) and the hospital is entitled to a payment when this occurs, they should get a payment. I am not disputing any of this. I am disputing the veracity of these numbers. From Politifact: Strict federal definition: Until April 14, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention counted as COVID-19 deaths only those in which the coronavirus was confirmed in a laboratory test — even as testing was not widely available; now, CDC counts probable cases and deaths. The day the change was announced, New York City’s COVID-19 death tally soared by more than 3,700 when it included in its total the deaths of people who were suspected of having COVID-19 but were never tested. So. To sum up. Financial incent hospitals and facilities with higher payments because of COVID, and allow "probable" cases and deaths related to COVID to be considered. And sure. Everyone follows the letter of the law and there is no fraud or mis-reporting. Right.
What is being done now --- now that there are plenty of available accurate PCR COVID tests --- is different than what was being done in April when it was difficult to obtain COVID tests.
The CARES act incentives expired, I believe, end of September - maybe even July, I have to check the expiration on this policy. So that's not an issue any more. And in a strange coincidence, the mortality of the virus is much better now, and less people are being hospitalized.
The mortality rate has been improved due to better treatment regimes including steroids, effective drugs (not HCQ), etc. Less people are not being hospitalized in the U.S. Have you looked at the national hospitalization numbers and stats recently.
Why is it a “strange coincidence?” Both Ben Carson and Donald Trump are alive today because of a treatment that wasn’t even available 2 months ago. We learned simple things like not putting people on ventilators and turning the patients every hour reduces mortality. I think we need to give a lot of credit to the doctors and hospitals. We are about 9 months into this and we’ve cut mortality by two-thirds. That truly is an amazing accomplishment. However, we need availability in hospitals and staff to maintain that level of mortality.
Yes, its another Festivus miracle! There can't be any other explanation that could be a part of this improvement in statistics.
No, can you provide the data so I can review? It should show COVID hospitalization rate now at or worse than back in April/May, right? I mean, if what you are saying is true.
This is sad and baseless. Do you say this stuff openly and in public? Do your coworkers and family know you think hospitals are running a scam and inflating Covid deaths, or is this something you get a sick kick out of on the Internet?