Hospital readmission rates in Medicare

Hospital readmissions are the focus of many recent efforts to improve quality and reduce spending under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). We examined variations in Medicare readmission rates by hospital characteristics (e.g., type, size, utilization) and Medicare patient mix (i.e., share of dual eligible beneficiaries, share of patients under 65 years of age, health status). Using 2010 data from 3,543 short-stay Medicare-certified hospitals, readmission rates were higher for hospitals that served a greater share of patients who were dual-eligible and less healthy; and larger hospitals and hospitals with higher occupancy rates even after controlling for patient mix.