Hospitals received billions in additional payments from insurers and government programs by upcoding for higher-intensity care over nine years, according to a RAND study published in Health Affairs. The study found a 41% increase in patients needing the highest-intensity care from 2011 to 2019, compared with an expected 13% rise, resulting in $14.6 billion in additional payments in 2019.

Full story: https://www.axios.com/2024/12/04/hospital-billing-upcoding-extra-payments