Case Management

CMW News: Medicare rehospitalizations cost $17.4 billion in 2004

Want to receive articles like this one in your inbox? Subscribe to Case Management Weekly!

A study recently published in The New England Journal of Medicine examined Medicare claims data from 2003 to 2004 and found that one-fifth of Medicare patients were rehospitalized within 30 days of discharge during that time period.

The study further showed that 34% of the 11,855,702 Medicare beneficiaries studied were readmitted to hospitals within 90 days of discharge, and more than half of the patients readmitted within 30 days showed no record of a primary care physician visit after discharge.

The average stay of readmitted patients was 0.6 days longer than patients in the same diagnosis-related group. The cost of hospital readmissions in Medicare patients is likely to increase in coming years as the baby boomer generation ages.

Sources: The New England Journal of Medicine, Fierce Healthcare

Want to receive articles like this one in your inbox? Subscribe to Case Management Weekly!

Briefings on The Joint Commission

Briefings on The Joint Commission will help you with all of your accreditation and survey preparation needs. Every month...
PPS Alert for Long-Term Care

Looking for a tool to make your job easier? PPS Alert for Long-Term Care, exclusively for the RN or MDS coordinator, is your...
Healthcare Life Safety Compliance

Learn Life Safety Code tips and interpretations for healthcare facilities with this in-depth monthly resource.
Briefings on Infection Control

Your facility's infection control and prevention initiatives are in the spotlight: Scrutiny from The Joint Commission, CDC...
Case Management Monthly

This newsletter offers case studies, best practices, and how-to analysis to help case managers move patients through the...