Health care reform intended to address the massive costs of American patient care can have a good deal of work ahead. Practicing preventative medicine is vital to the nation’s well-being, yet America doesn’t seem to be proficient in that regard. According to a 2009 study by the New England Journal of Medicine, one-fifth of Medicare patients are readmitted to the hospital within 30 days of discharge. After 90 days, that percentage climbs to 34 percent. After a year, a frightening 67 percent are back – or dead.
Constant re-admission is a tremendous financial drain
As outlined by the Huffington Post, the cost of Medicare was $17.4 billion in 2004. That gigantic figure forced Medicare to start monitoring hospitals in order to track the high re-admission rate problem. Top offenders were penalized financially. A new industry was born amidst the turmoil; private businesses would extend their efficiency expert services to afflicted hospitals. These efficiency experts no doubt have many clients, as surveys show that 75 percent of re-admits are avoidable if proper care is given in the first place.
Hospitals and nursing facilities point fingers at one another
Lack of proper communication appears to be the common ingredient when it comes to hospitals and skilled nursing facilities providing sub-par care that leads to re-admission. Not sharing the right info on patient and meds are among the communication issues at hand. The problem grows considerably for those Medicaid patients who are older and are shuttled between general and intensive care facilities.
Medicare and insurers sometimes lack foresight
As outlined by the Huffington Post, Medicare and private insurers will invariably recommend skilled nursing over inpatient rehab for stroke victims in recovery. Lower original cost is the reason, but what the insurers fail to see is the significance of a re-admit rate that is seven times higher within the skilled nursing option. The foresight to see beyond the lower price tag is a skill Medicare and private insurers must develop.
Always question your doctor
Left to their own devices, medical facilities will work to move patients out of care as easily as possible. Ask about the risks and be certain that future care instructions are quite clear. If you’d like more details on what questions to ask, check out the Huffington Post article.
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Huffington Post
huffingtonpost.com/richard-c-senelick-md/the-bounce-back-effect-ho_b_677575.html
