Hospitals for critically ill patients in tough financial spot

Hospitals for critically ill patients and long-term recovery facilities aren't a place many doctors and policymakers consider. But as the American population ages, long-term acute care spending grew to about $26 billion a year across the country, with about 380,000 patients in these facilities, according to the New York Times. Medicare trimmed reimbursements by nearly $7.3 billion to these hospitals over concerns about the price of long-term care. However, reimbursements based on quality measures, which the long-term care now bases on intensive care units, may not necessarily apply to long-term care. As for patients, Medicare only covers the first 150 days of care, leaving them financially devastated when Medicaid takes over or they are left on their own. Article