Rehospitalizations Among Patients in the Medicare Fee-for-Service Program

Rehospitalizations among patients in the medicare fee-for-service program

Citation Jencks, S.F., Williams, M., V. & Coleman, E. A. (2009). Rehospitalizations among patients in the medicare fee-for-service program. New England Journal of Medicine, 360 (14), 1418-1428.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to explore the patterns of rehospitalization (of Medicare patients) and the relation of rehospitalization to demographic characteristics of the patients and to characteristics of the hospitals.

Procedure Investigators analyzed Medicare claims data from 2003-2004

Outcomes Among additional findings, it was discovered that almost one fifth of the Medicare beneficiaries investigated who had been discharged from a hospital were rehospitalized within 30 days, and 34.0% were rehospitalized within 90 days. It also was estimated that the cost to Medicare of unplanned rehospitalizations in 2004 was $17.4 billion. Authors concluded that rehospitalizations among Medicare beneficiaries are prevalent and costly.

Author Jencks, S.F., Williams, M., V. & Coleman, E. A.