The National Association of Urban Hospitals has asked members of the Senate to co-sponsor the new Hospital Readmissions Program Accuracy and Accountability Bill, which seeks to add a risk-adjustment component to Medicare’s hospital readmissions reduction program.

NAUH has long been concerned about the readmissions reduction program’s bias against private safety-net hospitals that care for especially large numbers of low-income patients. A number of academic studies have now confirmed this bias and urged policy-makers to address it.  MedPAC, the independent agency that advises Congress on Medicare payment matters, has reached the same conclusion and recommended the same response.

This new bipartisan bill, which NAUH has endorsed, would require CMS to address the program’s shortcomings.

Read NAUH’s message to senators asking them to co-sponsor the bill here.