Dive Brief:
- The number of patients leaving hospitals against medical advice went up 41% between 1997 and 2011, especially among self-pay patients, according to a new study by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
- The number of AMA patients went from 264,000 in 1997 to 373,000 in 2011, with patients between 45 and 64 responsible for most of the increase.
- Among patient 18 to 44, AMA departures went down, from 56% to 44% in 2011.
Dive Insight:
It would be nice to think that post health reform, patients would be far less likely to leave hospitals before their doctor recommended a departure. But with the high deductibles and co-pays attached to most ACA plans, even patients who are insured have a powerful incentive to leave the hospital early.If hospitals don't want to deal with the readmissions which are likely to occur under these circumstances, they'll need to address this problem head-on.