Rehospitalizations tied to early releases

Regarding the article Bill introduced to reduce hospital readmissions

When we looked at rehospitalization of Medicare patients in the past, we found that many were tied to the individual being released too early by the hospital because the CMS would only reimburse for X number of days for Y condition. We also found that many patients were rehospitalized for pneumonia acquired during a “nursing home” visit.

Virginia A. Cardin

I believe this is generally an important idea. I believe there is already a network available for care coordination and this is home health agencies. They are not currently reimbursed exclusively for this type of service, but it is a part of a blend of services that they provide for patients requiring skilled nursing care. Why not go to an already competent structure rather than create a new one?

Kathy Knipp

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