When S-10 Reporting Fails, Reimbursement Falls Short
You delivered the care. But mismatched reports could cost you the reimbursement. That’s what happens when S-10 and Medicare Bad Debt logs don’t align.
Why S-10 Matters
Worksheet S-10 is part of the annual Medicare Cost Report. It captures the cost of caring for Medicare patients who can’t or don’t pay their bills and helps determine how much Uncompensated Care reimbursement a hospital receives.
S-10 and Medicare Bad Debt logs use the same data, but they’re often prepared separately, sometimes by different departments or vendors. That split can lead to misalignment, which can then trigger audits, delayed payments, or lost reimbursement. The financial consequences can cost hospitals hundreds of thousands or more.
Why S-10 is Relatively Easy to Get Wrong
S-10 is fairly new, becoming a key part of the reimbursement formula only about five years ago. It’s also relatively complicated, reported as a separate line item with multiple fields that must be filled out precisely.
S-10 logs are also audited faster than Medicare Bad Debt logs, leaving little time to fix errors after submission.
What Hospitals Can Do
To avoid misalignment and missed revenue, hospitals should treat S-10 and Medicare Bad Debt as complementary services, not separate tasks. That means compiling the two reports together, and if using a vendor, getting written confirmation that all data has been placed in the appropriate fields.
When S-10 and Medicare Bad Debt numbers don’t align, CMS pays attention. And hospitals often pay the price. Now’s the time to examine your process and make sure your reports are in sync and successful. Your revenue cycle results depend on it.
Meduit is one of the largest independent revenue cycle management (RCM) companies in the U.S., serving over 1,100 hospitals and large physician practices in 48 states. Our Government Reimbursement team uses proprietary software and specialized expertise to align S-10 and Medicare Bad Debt reporting, thereby minimizing audit exposure and maximizing reimbursement.
For more information, please contact:
Tiffani Frank
VP Operations, Government Reimbursement
c: (773) 220-3702
e: Tiffani.Frank@MeduitRCM.com