Are hospitals falsely tagging patients with COVID-19 to make money?
Senior Medicare Patrol • July 8, 2020
Senior Medicare Patrol Investigates
You’ve probably seen the headlines making the social media rounds. Claims that “hospitals get paid more to treat COVID-19 patients” and “is medicare paying hospitals $13,000 for patients diagnosed with COVID-19 and $39,000 for those on ventilators?”
In a recent post to the KPRC 2 Facebook page, a woman claimed discharge papers showed her mom had COVID-19 when she “absolutely did not have it,” and her husband told her hospitals get $30,000 per patient.
She’s not alone in asking Channel 2 Investigates about this, so we decided to put two claims through our Trust Index.
Is Medicare paying hospitals more for COVID-19 patients?
Here’s how Medicare, which is funded through your tax dollars, works.
When patients are discharged, hospitals assign them a code on their diagnosis and treatment, and Medicare pays hospitals a set amount based on that code. But when Congress drew up the CARES Act, it created a 20% “add on” for treatment of COVID-19 patients.
“The key component of it was an additional reimbursement for patients who had COVID to offset the revenue the would’ve made for their typical procedures,” explained hospital billing expert Shawn Fry. “Depending on the severity of the patient, you could make double, or even four or five times as much on that COVID patient.”
Politifact looked at an analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation which found the average Medicare payment for a less severe COVID-19 hospitalization was just over $13,000, and for a hospitalization requiring a ventilator it was just over $40,000. This includes the 20% “add on” through the CARES Act. That increases the hospital’s standard payment for similar treatment of non-COVID patients.
We rate the claim that hospitals make more money from COVID-19 patients as true.
Are hospitals falsely tagging patients with COVID-19 to make money?
“It is a possibility, any time you’re dealing with billing and coding,, there is a possibility for error,” said Jennifer Salazar with the Better Business Bureau’s Texas Senior Medicare Patrol. She advises that patients be proactive in tracking their diagnoses and treatments.
“When you got to the hospital or you see your doctor, write it down, write down what you’ve had done,” Salazar said.
And always review your discharge papers.
“If you see anything that looks suspicious or incorrect, if your not sure about, call us at the Texas Senior Medicare Patrol,” she said.
But there’s no hard evidence that hospitals are fraudulently identifying patients as “COVID positive”.
“To my knowledge, and I’ve talked to several different hospitals, no doctor has ever been incentivized to add the COVID-19 diagnosis to any patient’s file,” Fry said.
There are protocols in place to prevent that, including frequent audits, and harsh penalties for those who are caught doing it.
We rate the claim that hospitals are falsely tagging patients with COVID-19 to make money as false.
The East Texas Area Agency on Aging (ETAAA), a program of the East Texas Council of Governments (ETCOG), is inviting the public to review and comment on our 2027 to 2029 Area Plan. ETAAA serves as the Area Agency on Aging for Planning and Service Area 4, a fourteen-county region in East Texas. The Area Plan outlines our strategy to strengthen the Aging Services Network and address the needs of people age 60 and older, family caregivers, and individuals with disabilities. It also guides how we plan, coordinate, and oversee services supported by the Older Americans Act and other state and local initiatives. Our mission is to serve as the region’s leader in advocating for and delivering services that enable older adults to live independently, with dignity and purpose, in their homes and communities. Our vision, “Age Well, Live Well, ” reflects a person-centered approach focused on better choices, improved health, and access to nutritious food. We call it “Serving One Senior at a Time.” The 2027–2029 Area Plan is guided by a needs assessment incorporating data, service trends, and stakeholder input. Key priority needs include access to home- and community-based services, caregiver support, transportation, nutrition and food security, social isolation, healthcare access and chronic disease management, and improved service coordination and system navigation. How to share your input Public comments will be accepted through April 26, 2026 . Submit comments by mail or email: Mail: Area Agency on Aging, 3800 Stone Road, Kilgore, TX 75662 Email: Colleen.Halliburton@etcog.org
The Area Agency on Aging of East Texas (AAA) opened a new congregate meal site in Marshall on Monday, December 15th. Older adults, aged 60 and up, eligible for the Senior Nutrition Program will be able to enjoy a hot lunch, good conversation, and a friendly place to gather. Location George Washington Carver Community Center 2302 Holland St Marshall, TX 75670 Meal Hours Monday–Thursday 11:00 AM–12:30 PM Phone 903-923-8410 The Senior Nutrition Program supports adults age 60 and older through both congregate meals and home-delivered meals. These meals follow dietary guidelines and help older adults stay connected and healthy. For folks who can’t travel, home-delivered meals bring food, a wellness check, and a bit of company to their door. How to Enroll Adults age 60 and older can join the Senior Nutrition Program by contacting the provider for their county listed at: easttexasaaa.org/nutrition , or by receiving a referral from AAA staff. Caregivers who care for someone receiving home-delivered meals may also be referred for services by calling AAA. The Carver Community Center site will give more Marshall and Harrison County residents a place to eat, visit, and keep a steady routine. If you or someone you know could benefit, contact the AAA for assistance!
