Which characteristic does not contribute to the IME adjustment in payments?

The characteristic that does not contribute to the Indirect Medical Education (IME) adjustment in payments is the patients' length of stay. The IME adjustment is designed to provide additional reimbursement to teaching hospitals that operate residency programs, reflecting the higher costs associated with training medical residents. The IME adjustment takes into account the number of residents relative to the number of beds in the hospital and the average daily census, both of which are critical to understanding how many residents are being trained in relation to the capacity and usage of the hospital. Overall hospital size is also considered, as larger hospitals may have more resources dedicated to education and training.

However, the length of stay of patients does not directly influence the IME adjustment. While it is an important aspect of overall hospital management and reimbursement methodologies, it does not factor into the calculation of the IME adjustment, which focuses specifically on the number and ratio of residents to beds and the hospital's average daily census. Understanding this distinction is key in recognizing the elements that impact IME reimbursement and how they can influence a teaching hospital's financial profile.