Southwest Consulting Associates recently participated in a segment of the THA SOLUTIONS Podcast where SCA President Michael Newell discussed the Medicare cost report Worksheet S-10 with Texas Hospital Association's Lance Lunsford. The sixteen minute conversation was part of the podcast segment titled, "Maintain Compliance to Maximize Hospital Funding" and can be heard in its entirety by selecting the play button located at the end of this post.
The discussion begins by addressing the impact and influence that Worksheet S-10 has and potentially will have on hospital payments. The conversation then touches on why Medicare Worksheet S-10 is such a big deal not only for hospital providers in Texas whose 1115 Medicaid Waiver has ushered in a new method of calculating uncompensated care costs using Worksheet S-10 data, but for hospitals all across the country who are undergoing MAC S-10 audits at the federal level. Additionally, the podcast takes a look at the importance of compiling the complete set of data correctly the first time for filing the cost report and reviews new requirements put in place by CMS for hospitals to submit patient detail at the time of cost report submission that supports amounts reported in the filed cost report. This new requirement has posed some operational challenges for hospitals as witnessed by Southwest Consulting Associates' recent participation in the inaugural round of MAC S-10 audits. To round out the podcast, observations, best practices and guidance were shared to help hospitals navigate their Worksheet S-10 reporting and compliance efforts. Be sure to listen to the full podcast below: