The Obama administration released the names of hospitals that received $1.5 billion to resolve longstanding Medicare billing disputes, according to a Kaiser Health News report.
Here are five things to know:
1. The largest payment went to NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, which received $16 million; the second largest went to North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, N.Y., which received $14.5 million.
2. There were 2,022 hospitals that received government payouts last year to settle 346,000 claims associated with treating Medicare patients admitted on or before Oct. 1, 2013. The settlements reduced a backlog of disputes over arguments on what hospitals were owed, according to the report.
3. In 2014, the government offered to pay hospitals 68 percent of the inpatient claims' value for claims caught in the hearings and appeals process.
4. There were 35 hospitals that received more than $5 million, but most were paid less. The average payment was $307,642.
5. Many hospitals prefer quick settlements for discounted amounts to continuing on with appeals for months or years, according to the report. Only 18 percent of appealed claims from Oct. 1, 2013 to Sept. 30, 2014 were in favor of hospitals but hospitals reported winning 66 percent of appeals since 2010, according to American Hospital Association data from 2014.