Analysis of 2003-2004 Medicare claims data reveals that almost one-fifth (19.6 percent) of Medicare beneficiaries in the FFS program discharged from a hospital were rehospitalized within 30 days, and more than one-third (34 percent) were rehospitalized within 90 days, according to an article in the April 2 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. .
Of the patients who were rehospitalized within 30 days after a medical discharge to the community, just over one-half (50.2 percent) had no bill for a visit to a physician’s office between the time of discharge and rehospitalization. Among patients who were rehospitalized within 30 days after a surgical discharge, 70.5 percent were rehospitalized for a medical condition.
The article concludes that the cost to Medicare of unplanned rehospitalizations in 2004 was $17.4 billion.
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