Medicare’s value-based purchasing program will reward more hospitals than it will penalize in FY 2020 through its value-based purchasing program.

The program, in which 2700 hospitals are scored in four domains – clinical outcomes, safety, person and community engagement, and efficiency and cost reduction – will distribute $1.9 billion in bonus payments to 1500 hospitals.

Bonus payment average 0.6 percent, with a high of 2.93 percent.  Penalties average -0.39 percent, with a high of -1.72 percent.

Overall, rural hospitals performed better in the safety, person and community engagement, and efficiency and cost reduction categories and had a higher average score nation-wide while urban hospitals produced better clinical outcomes.  Smaller hospitals performed better in safety, person and community engagement, and efficiency and cost reduction.

Hospitals can find a link to their own adjustments here.

Learn more about how Medicare’s value-based purchasing program works and how hospitals will fare in FY 2020 in this CMS fact sheet.