Purpose of CMS readmission program questioned

Editor's Note

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program has only seen a drop in readmissions by 0.1% from 2013 to mid-2016, which has industry experts and hospital leaders questioning its purpose, the August 12 Modern Healthcare reports.

The Affordable Care Act mandated program, which has resulted in consistent cuts in reimbursement to about 75% of hospitals for excessive readmissions, not only hurts the bottom line, it no longer makes sense as hospitals take part in other CMS value-based initiatives, the report says.

A major complaint of the program is that readmission rates aren’t easy for a hospital to control because a patient’s return may not have anything to do with the quality of care given at the hospital.

The CMS has consistently penalized roughly 75% of hospitals for excessive readmissions since the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program began in 2012. The stagnant numbers have policy experts and hospitals wondering if the CMS should move on from the effort. <meta property=