Review of Medicare Inpatient Acute-Care Bad Debts at St. Joseph Hospital for Calendar Year 1999 - St. Joseph Hospital, Chicago, Illinois

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

The objective of this audit was to determine if Medicare inpatient acute-care bad debts claimed by St. Joseph Hospital on its cost report for the calendar year ended December 31, 1999 met Medicare requirements.  Although our audit found that St. Joseph generally claimed inpatient acute-care bad debts in accordance with Medicare reimbursement requirements, we noted some exceptions resulting in questioned bad debt claims of $30,964.  We recommended that St. Joseph coordinate with the Fiscal Intermediary to adjust their calendar year 1999 cost report by $30,964 for overstated inpatient acute-care bad debts.  St. Joseph concurred with our findings and recommendation.