Question

Physicians in a small urban hospital are reluctant to discharge older adult patients because many of the patients lack private insurance and the resources to travel distances for follow-up care. The hospital administration pressures the physicians to discharge patients sooner and to be more consistent with the number of hospitalization days specified within the DRGs. Which of the following would most likely prompt the action of administrators?

a. The hospital is incurring a deficit related to a gap between the PPS and the DRGs and costs of care.
b. Local home care services are expressing concern about the increased acuity of patients being discharged into their care.
c. The resource-based relative scale for physicians does not account for the increased length of stay.
d. Acute care patients are being denied entry to the hospital because of the increased stay of patients.

Answer 1

Hospital administration is likely prompted to take action due to a deficit related to a gap between PPS and DRGs and costs of care.

Step-by-step explanation:

The action of administrators would most likely be prompted by option a, which states that the hospital is incurring a deficit related to a gap between the PPS (Prospective Payment System) and the DRGs (Diagnosis Related Groups) and costs of care.

The PPS is a reimbursement system used by Medicare to pay hospitals a set amount for each case treated, based on the average cost of treating patients in similar DRGs.

If the hospital is incurring a deficit due to the gap between the PPS and the DRGs, it means that the hospital is not receiving adequate reimbursement for the care provided to patients, causing financial strain.