Moody's: Sequestration adds on new financial pressures for non-profit hospitals

Also in the news, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has begun auditing some of the physicians who qualify for a Medicare EHR "meaningful use" bonus before they even receive a check -- a step that has triggered grumbling from organized medicine.

Reuters: New Medicare Cuts Threaten Non-Profit Hospitals – Moody's
Not-for-profit U.S. hospitals began confronting another threat to their shaky finances last week with the start of reductions to Medicare that are included in the universal federal spending cuts known as sequestration, Moody's Investors Service said on Monday (4/8).

Medscape: In Reversal, CMS Audits EHR Bonus Winners Before Payment
After panning the idea last fall, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has begun auditing between 5% and 10% of physicians who qualify for a Medicare bonus for meaningful use of an electronic health record (EHR) system before they ever receive a check. The new audit, which comes on top of double-checking a similar percentage of physicians after they receive the bonus, has leaders of organized medicine grumbling about red tape and payment delays (Lowes, 4/8).