Journal Article Understanding Medicare Hospital Readmission Rates And Differing Penalties Between Safety-Net And Other Hospitals
Steven H Sheingold, Rachael Zuckerman, Adele Shartzer
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Medicare’s Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program raises concerns about the effect of payment penalties on safety-net hospitals, which treat a disproportionate share of patients with low socioeconomic status. We examined how the program’s current risk-adjustment methods and patient and hospital factors explained differences in readmission rates between safety-net and other hospitals. Patient socioeconomic status explains some of the differences, but unmeasured factors, such as hospital performance, may also play a role. We must evaluate policies that incorporate socioeconomic status to determine whether it would affect penalties while remaining consistent with objectives for delivery system transformation.
Research Areas Health and health care
Tags Health care delivery and payment Hospitals and physicians Medicare
Policy Centers Health Policy Center