Dive Brief:
- Rehospitalizations within a month of discharge fell to fewer than 18% of Medicare patients during the first eight months of this year, the lowest rate in years, according to Kaiser Health News.
- This drop took place during the first year Medicare slapped hospitals with financial penalties for not meeting readmissions goals, a development which the government says offers proof that the penalties are working.
- Readmissions for Medicare patients were at 19 percent from 2007 to 2011; the drop in 30-day readmissions this year translated to 130,000 fewer readmissions nationally.
Dive Insight:
While it's easy to be skeptical of government programs promoting a specific clinical outcome, this one is hard to knock. The drop in readmissions isn't a giant leap statistically, but it does represent meaningful progress. I'd wager that when Medicare raises penalties to 3 percent next August, we'll see another drop in readmissions. Now, let's see what other clearly-defined problems Medicare can take on.