National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report
Latest available findings on quality of and access to health care
Data
- Data Infographics
- Data Visualizations
- Data Tools
- Data Innovations
- All-Payer Claims Database
- Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP)
- Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS)
- AHRQ Quality Indicator Tools for Data Analytics
- State Snapshots
- United States Health Information Knowledgebase (USHIK)
- Data Sources Available from AHRQ
Search All Research Studies
AHRQ Research Studies Date
Topics
- Access to Care (1)
- Adverse Events (2)
- Ambulatory Care and Surgery (2)
- Blood Clots (2)
- Cardiovascular Conditions (3)
- Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection (CAUTI) (1)
- Elderly (2)
- Emergency Department (1)
- Emergency Medical Services (EMS) (1)
- Falls (1)
- Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs) (7)
- Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) (1)
- Healthcare Costs (18)
- Healthcare Delivery (2)
- Health Information Exchange (HIE) (1)
- Health Insurance (6)
- Health Systems (2)
- Heart Disease and Health (3)
- Hospital Discharge (1)
- Hospitalization (2)
- Hospital Readmissions (5)
- (-) Hospitals (43)
- Infectious Diseases (2)
- Injuries and Wounds (1)
- Intensive Care Unit (ICU) (1)
- Long-Term Care (1)
- Medicaid (2)
- Medical Devices (1)
- Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) (1)
- Medicare (26)
- Medication (1)
- Mortality (2)
- Nursing Homes (1)
- Orthopedics (2)
- Patient Experience (1)
- Patient Safety (6)
- (-) Payment (43)
- Policy (5)
- Prevention (3)
- Provider: Physician (1)
- Provider Performance (14)
- Quality Improvement (5)
- Quality Indicators (QIs) (3)
- Quality Measures (1)
- Quality of Care (10)
- Racial and Ethnic Minorities (1)
- Rural Health (1)
- Surgery (3)
- Uninsured (1)
- Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) (1)
AHRQ Research Studies
Sign up: AHRQ Research Studies Email updates
Research Studies is a compilation of published research articles funded by AHRQ or authored by AHRQ researchers.
Results
1 to 25 of 43 Research Studies DisplayedLiao JM, Huang Q, Wang E
Performance of physician groups and hospitals participating in bundled payments among Medicare beneficiaries.
This cohort study compared how physician group practices (PGPs) performed in bundled payments compared with hospitals. The authors used 2011 to 2018 Medicare claims data to compare the association of participants in the Bundled Payments for Care Improvement (BCPI) initiative with episode outcomes. Primary outcome was 90-day total episode spending. The total sampled comprised data from 1,288,781 Medicare beneficiaries, of whom mean age was 76.2 years, 59.7% women, and 85.5% White, with 592,071 individuals receiving care from 6405 physicians in in BPCI-participating PGPs and 24,758 propensity-matched physicians in non-BPCI-participating PGPs. For PGPs, BPCI participation was associated with greater reductions in episode spending for surgical (difference, -$1648 to -$1088) but not for medical episodes (difference, -$410 to $206). Hospital participation in BPCI was associated with greater reductions in episode spending for both surgical ($1345 to -$675) and medical -$1139 to -$386) episodes.
AHRQ-funded; HS027595.
Citation: Liao JM, Huang Q, Wang E .
Performance of physician groups and hospitals participating in bundled payments among Medicare beneficiaries.
JAMA Health Forum 2022 Dec 2; 3(12):e224889. doi: 10.1001/jamahealthforum.2022.4889..
Keywords: Provider Performance, Payment, Hospitals, Medicare, Quality of Care
Likosky DS, Yang G, Zhang M
Interhospital variability in health care-associated infections and payments after durable ventricular assist device implant among Medicare beneficiaries.
The purpose of this study was to examine differences in durable ventricular assist device implantation infection rates and associated costs across hospitals. The researchers utilized clinical data for 8,688 patients who received primary durable ventricular assist devices from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons Interagency Registry for Mechanically Assisted Circulatory Support (Intermacs) hospitals (n = 120) and merged that data with post-implantation 90-day Medicare claims. The primary outcome included infections within 90 days of implantation and Medicare payments. The study found that 27.8% of patients developed 3982 identified infections. The median adjusted incidence of infections (per 100 patient-months) across hospitals was 14.3 and differed according to hospital. Total Medicare payments from implantation to 90 days were 9.0% more in high versus low infection tercile hospitals. The researchers concluded that health-care-associated infection rates post durable ventricular assist device implantation varied according to hospital and were associated with increased 90-day Medicare expenditures.
AHRQ-funded; HS026003.
Citation: Likosky DS, Yang G, Zhang M .
Interhospital variability in health care-associated infections and payments after durable ventricular assist device implant among Medicare beneficiaries.
J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2022 Nov;164(5):1561-68. doi: 10.1016/j.jtcvs.2021.04.074..
Keywords: Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Medical Devices, Medicare, Heart Disease and Health, Cardiovascular Conditions, Hospitals, Payment, Healthcare Costs
Waters TM, Burns N, Kaplan CM
Combined impact of medicare's hospital pay for performance programs on quality and safety outcomes is mixed.
The authors examined the combined impact of Medicare's pay for performance (P4P) programs on clinical areas and populations targeted by the programs, as well as those outside their focus. Using HCUP data, and consistent with previous studies for individual programs, they detected minimal, if any, effect of Medicare's hospital P4P programs on quality and safety. They recommended a redesigning of the P4P programs before continuing to expand them.
AHRQ-funded; HS025148.
Citation: Waters TM, Burns N, Kaplan CM .
Combined impact of medicare's hospital pay for performance programs on quality and safety outcomes is mixed.
BMC Health Serv Res 2022 Jul 28;22(1):958. doi: 10.1186/s12913-022-08348-w..
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Medicare, Payment, Provider Performance, Hospitals, Quality Indicators (QIs), Quality Measures, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Patient Safety
Post B, Norton EC, Hollenbeck BK
Hospital-physician integration and risk-coding intensity.
This study analyzed whether hospital-physician integration affects providers' coding of patient severity, because greater diagnostic severity will increase practices’ payment under risk-based arrangements. The authors used a two-way fixed effects model, an event study, and a stacked difference-in-differences analysis of 5 million patient-year observations from 2010 to 2015. They found that the integration of a patient's primary care doctor is associated with a robust 2%-4% increase in coded severity, the risk-score equivalent of aging a physician's patients by 4-8 months. This effect wasn’t driven by physicians treating different patients nor by physicians seeing patients more often. Their evidence is consistent with the hypothesis that hospitals share organizational resources with acquired physician practices to increase the measured clinical severity of patients. They believe that increases in the intensity of coding will improve vertically-integrated practices' performance in alternative payment models and pay-for-performance programs while raising overall health care spending.
AHRQ-funded; HS025707;HS027044.
Citation: Post B, Norton EC, Hollenbeck BK .
Hospital-physician integration and risk-coding intensity.
Health Econ 2022 Jul; 31(7):1423-37. doi: 10.1002/hec.4516..
Keywords: Hospitals, Provider: Physician, Payment
Liao JM, Chatterjee P, Wang E
The effect of hospital safety net status on the association between bundled payment participation and changes in medical episode outcomes.
This study evaluated whether hospital safety net status affected the association between bundled payment participation and medical outcomes. The hospitals included were participants in Medicare’s Bundled Payments for Care Improvement (BCPI) program from 2011-2016. Data from Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries hospitalized for acute myocardial infarction, pneumonia, congestive heart failure, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were used. Among BCPI hospitals, safety net status was not associated with differential postdischarge spending or quality. However, BPCI safety net hospitals had differentially greater discharge due to institutional post-acute care and lower discharge home with home health than BPCI non-safety net hospitals.
AHRQ-funded; HS027595.
Citation: Liao JM, Chatterjee P, Wang E .
The effect of hospital safety net status on the association between bundled payment participation and changes in medical episode outcomes.
J Hosp Med 2021 Dec;16(12):716-23. doi: 10.12788/jhm.3722..
Keywords: Medicare, Payment, Hospitals
Arntson E, Dimick JB, Nuliyalu U
Changes in hospital-acquired conditions and mortality associated with the hospital-acquired condition reduction program.
This study evaluated changes in Hospital-Acquired Conditions (HACs) and 30-day mortality after the announcement of the Centers for Medicare and Medicare Services’ Hospital-Acquired Condition Reduction Program (HACRP) in August 2013. The authors evaluated models to test for changes in HACs and 30-day mortality before and after the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and after the HACRP. Fee-for-service Medicare claims from 2009 to 2015 were used. The HAC rate declined after the ACA was passed and declined further after the HACRP announcement. However, 30-day mortality rates were unchanged.
AHRQ-funded; HS026244.
Citation: Arntson E, Dimick JB, Nuliyalu U .
Changes in hospital-acquired conditions and mortality associated with the hospital-acquired condition reduction program.
Ann Surg 2021 Oct 1;274(4):e301-e07. doi: 10.1097/sla.0000000000003641..
Keywords: Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Hospitals, Mortality, Medicare, Payment, Prevention, Patient Safety
Liao JM, Gupta A, Zhao Y
Association between hospital voluntary participation, mandatory participation, or nonparticipation in bundled payments and Medicare episodic spending for hip and knee replacements.
The purpose of this study was to examine and compare 2011-2017 spending for hip and joint replacements between hospitals with voluntary participation, mandatory participation and nonparticipation in the Medicare Bundled Payments for Care Improvement program.
Citation: Liao JM, Gupta A, Zhao Y .
Association between hospital voluntary participation, mandatory participation, or nonparticipation in bundled payments and Medicare episodic spending for hip and knee replacements.
JAMA 2021 Aug 3;326(5):438-40. doi: 10.1001/jama.2021.10046..
Keywords: Medicare, Hospitals, Payment, Surgery, Orthopedics, Healthcare Costs
Post B, Norton EC, Hollenbeck B
Hospital-physician integration and Medicare's site-based outpatient payments.
AHRQ-funded; HS027044.
Citation: Post B, Norton EC, Hollenbeck B .
Hospital-physician integration and Medicare's site-based outpatient payments.
Health Serv Res 2021 Feb;56(1):7-15. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.13613..
Keywords: Hospitals, Payment, Medicare, Ambulatory Care and Surgery, Healthcare Delivery
Machta RM, Reschovsky J, Jones DJ
AHRQ Author: Furukawa MF
Can vertically integrated health systems provide greater value: the case of hospitals under the comprehensive care for joint replacement model?
The authors sought to assess whether system providers perform better than non-system providers under an alternative payment model that incentivizes high-quality, cost-efficient care. Using CMS data linked to AHRQ’s Compendium of US Health Systems, along with secondary sources, they found that when operating under alternative payment model incentives, vertical integration may enable hospitals to lower costs with similar quality scores.
AHRQ-authored; AHRQ-funded; 290201600001C.
Citation: Machta RM, Reschovsky J, Jones DJ .
Can vertically integrated health systems provide greater value: the case of hospitals under the comprehensive care for joint replacement model?
Health Serv Res 2020 Aug;55(4):541-47. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.13313..
Keywords: Health Systems, Hospitals, Orthopedics, Healthcare Costs, Payment, Quality of Care
Fisher ES, Shortell SM, O'Malley AJ
Financial integration's impact on care delivery and payment reforms: a survey of hospitals and physician practices. Health Aff 2020 Aug;39(8):1302-11. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2019.01813.
This study looked at whether financial integration of hospitals and physician practices was associated with greater quality. A total of 739 hospitals and 2,189 physician practices were included in the nationally representative survey. They were stratified by whether they were independent or owned by complex systems, simple systems, or medical groups. Nine scales were used to measure the level of adoption of diverse, quality-focused care delivery and payment reforms. While quality scores favored financially integrated systems for 4 of 9 hospital measures and one of 9 practice measures, none of them favored complex systems. Better quality was generally not associated with greater financial integration.
AHRQ-funded; U19 HS024075.
Citation: Fisher ES, Shortell SM, O'Malley AJ .
Financial integration's impact on care delivery and payment reforms: a survey of hospitals and physician practices. Health Aff 2020 Aug;39(8):1302-11. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2019.01813.
Health Aff 2020 Aug;39(8):1302-11. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2019.01813..
Keywords: Healthcare Delivery, Payment, Hospitals, Health Systems, Quality of Care
Hoffman GJ, Yakusheva O
Association between financial incentives in Medicare's hospital readmissions reduction program and hospital readmission performance.
This study compared the outcome of penalties versus rewards to prevent hospital readmission in Medicare’s Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP). This retrospective cohort study used Medicare readmissions data from 2823 US short-term acute care hospitals participating in HRRP. Data from pre-HRRP in 2016 was compared with 2016-2019 3-year follow-up readmission performance classified by tertile of hospitals using baseline marginal incentives for 5 HRRP-targeted conditions: acute myocardial infarction (AMI), heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), pneumonia, and hip and/or knee surgery. Of the 2823 hospitals participating in HRRP from baseline to follow-up, 81% had more than 1 excess readmission for 1 or more applicable condition and 19% did not. Financial incentives ranged from a mean range of $8762 to $58,158 per 1 avoided readmission. Hospitals with greater incentives for readmission avoidance had greater decreases than hospitals with smaller incentives. An additional $5000 in the incentive amount was associated with up to a 26% decrease in readmissions. The findings suggest that incentives work better than penalties to reduce hospital readmissions for those 5 conditions.
AHRQ-funded; HS025838.
Citation: Hoffman GJ, Yakusheva O .
Association between financial incentives in Medicare's hospital readmissions reduction program and hospital readmission performance.
JAMA Netw Open 2020 Apr;3(4):e202044. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.2044..
Keywords: Medicare, Hospital Readmissions, Provider Performance, Payment, Health Insurance, Hospitals
Selden TM
AHRQ Author: Selden TM
Differences between public and private hospital payment rates narrowed, 2012-16.
In 2000-12 payments for inpatient hospital stays, emergency department visits, and outpatient hospital care for privately insured patients grew much faster than payments for Medicare and Medicaid patients. This widening of private-public payment gaps slowed or even reversed itself in 2012-16. In this paper, the author discusses the differences between public and private hospital payment rates, 2012-2016.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Selden TM .
Differences between public and private hospital payment rates narrowed, 2012-16.
Health Aff 2020 Jan;39(1):94-99. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2019.00415..
Keywords: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Hospitals, Payment, Healthcare Costs, Medicaid, Medicare
Sun EC, Mello MM, Moshfegh J
Assessment of out-of-network billing for privately insured patients receiving care in in-network hospitals.
This retrospective analysis used data from the Clinformatics Data Mart database (Optum) to examine out-of-network billing among privately insured patients with an inpatient admission or emergency department (ED) visit at in-network hospitals. The investigators found that out-of-network billing appeared to have become common for privately insured patients even when they soughttreatment at in-network hospitals. They indicated that the mean amounts billed appeared to be sufficiently large that they may create financial strain for a substantial proportion of patients.
AHRQ-funded; HS026128.
Citation: Sun EC, Mello MM, Moshfegh J .
Assessment of out-of-network billing for privately insured patients receiving care in in-network hospitals.
JAMA Intern Med 2019 Nov;179(11):1453-612. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2019.3451..
Keywords: Health Insurance, Healthcare Costs, Payment, Hospitals, Emergency Department
Sheetz KH, Dimick JB, Englesbe MJ
Hospital-acquired condition reduction program is not associated with additional patient safety improvement.
In 2013 the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced that it would begin levying penalties against hospitals with the highest rates of hospital-acquired conditions through the Hospital-Acquired Condition Reduction Program. This study evaluates whether the program has been successful in improving patient safety or not. The investigators concluded that the program did not improve patient safety in Michigan beyond existing trends.
AHRQ-funded; HS000053; HS026244.
Citation: Sheetz KH, Dimick JB, Englesbe MJ .
Hospital-acquired condition reduction program is not associated with additional patient safety improvement.
Health Aff 2019 Nov;38(11):1858-65. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2018.05504..
Keywords: Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Hospitals, Patient Safety, Provider Performance, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Infectious Diseases, Payment
Kim KL, LI L, Kuang M
Changes in hospital referral patterns to skilled nursing facilities under the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program.
The objective of this study was to investigate the association between changes in hospital referral patterns to skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) and Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP) penalty pressure. Results showed that HRRP did not prompt substantial changes in hospital referral patterns to SNFs, although readmissions for patients referred to SNFs differentially decreased more than for other patients, warranting investigation of other mechanisms underlying readmissions reduction.
AHRQ-funded; HS022882.
Citation: Kim KL, LI L, Kuang M .
Changes in hospital referral patterns to skilled nursing facilities under the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program.
Med Care 2019 Sep;57(9):695-701. doi: 10.1097/mlr.0000000000001169..
Keywords: Hospitals, Nursing Homes, Hospital Readmissions, Payment, Provider Performance
Shorr RI, Staggs VS, Waters TM
Impact of the hospital-acquired conditions initiative on falls and physical restraints: a longitudinal study.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) implemented the Hospital-Acquired Conditions (HACs) Initiative in October 2008; the CMS no longer reimbursed hospitals for fall injury. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of the 2008 HACs Initiative on the rates of falls, injurious falls, and physical restraint use. The investigators concluded that since the HACs Initiative, there was at best a modest decline in the rates of falls and injurious falls observed primarily in larger, major teaching hospitals. An increase in restraint use was not observed.
AHRQ-funded; HS020627.
Citation: Shorr RI, Staggs VS, Waters TM .
Impact of the hospital-acquired conditions initiative on falls and physical restraints: a longitudinal study.
J Hosp Med 2019 Sep 6;14:E31-E36. doi: 10.12788/jhm.3295..
Keywords: Falls, Adverse Events, Hospitals, Payment, Policy, Elderly
Sankaran R, Sukul D, Nuliyalu U
Changes in hospital safety following penalties in the US Hospital Acquired Condition Reduction Program: retrospective cohort study.
This study evaluated the association between hospital penalization in the US Hospital Acquired Condition Reduction Program (HACRP) and changes in clinical outcomes. Out of the total of 724 hospitals were penalized in fiscal year 2015, 708 were included in the study. The majority of the penalized hospitals were large teaching institutions and have a greater share of low-income patients than non-penalized hospitals. After penalization, there was a non-significant change in hospital acquired conditions, 30-day readmission rates, and 30-day mortality. This might mean that disparities in care could be exacerbated.
AHRQ-funded; HS026244.
Citation: Sankaran R, Sukul D, Nuliyalu U .
Changes in hospital safety following penalties in the US Hospital Acquired Condition Reduction Program: retrospective cohort study.
BMJ 2019 Jul 3;366:l4109. doi: 10.1136/bmj.l4109..
Keywords: Health Insurance, Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Hospitals, Medicare, Patient Safety, Provider Performance, Payment, Quality of Care, Quality Indicators (QIs)
Kaplan CM, Thompson MP, Waters TM
How have 30-day readmission penalties affected racial disparities in readmissions?: an analysis from 2007 to 2014 in five US states.
The purpose of this study was to examine changes in Black-White disparities in 30-day readmissions for acute myocardial infarction (AMI), congestive heart failure (CHF), or pneumonia following the passage and implementation of the Hospital Readmission Reduction Program (HRRP), and to compare disparities across safety-net and non-safety-net hospitals. Prior to the passage of HRRP, Black and White readmission rates and disparities in readmissions were decreasing, with largest reductions at safety-net hospitals. Findings showed that improvements in readmissions have not reversed following the implementation of HRRP. In contrast, disparities continue to persist at non-safety-net hospitals.
AHRQ-funded; HS023783.
Citation: Kaplan CM, Thompson MP, Waters TM .
How have 30-day readmission penalties affected racial disparities in readmissions?: an analysis from 2007 to 2014 in five US states.
J Gen Intern Med 2019 Jun;34(6):878-83. doi: 10.1007/s11606-019-04841-x..
Keywords: Hospital Readmissions, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Hospitals, Medicare, Payment
Sheetz KH, Dimick JB, Regenbogen SE
How patient complexity and surgical approach influence episode-based payment models for colectomy.
This study looked into how the use of bundled payment programs would affect hospital reimbursements for colectomies. National data from the 100% Medicare Provider Analysis and Review files for the years 2010 to 2014 was used. Patients undergoing colectomies were identified using diagnosis-related group codes and ICD-9, Clinical Modification codes. Reconciliation payments were simulated as the difference between actual price-standardized 90-day episode payments and estimated regional spending benchmarks. The simulated bundled payment conditions showed 51.8% of hospitals would achieve shared savings, but the average case would incur reconciliation penalties. Laparoscopies would achieve the highest savings.
AHRQ-funded; HS023597.
Citation: Sheetz KH, Dimick JB, Regenbogen SE .
How patient complexity and surgical approach influence episode-based payment models for colectomy.
Dis Colon Rectum 2019 Jun;62(6):739-46. doi: 10.1097/dcr.0000000000001372..
Keywords: Surgery, Payment, Healthcare Costs, Medicare, Hospitals
Chukmaitov AS, Harless DW, Bazzoli GJ
Factors associated with hospital participation in Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' Accountable Care Organization programs.
The aim of this study was to assess the organizational and environmental characteristics associated with hospital participation in the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) and Pioneer Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs). The investigators found that hospital participation in both Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services ACO programs was associated with prior experience with risk-based payments and care management programs, advanced health information technology, and location in higher-income and more competitive areas.
AHRQ-funded; HS023332.
Citation: Chukmaitov AS, Harless DW, Bazzoli GJ .
Factors associated with hospital participation in Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' Accountable Care Organization programs.
Health Care Manage Rev 2019 Apr/Jun;44(2):104-14. doi: 10.1097/hmr.0000000000000182..
Keywords: Payment, Medicare, Hospitals
Lin SC, Hollingsworth JM, Adler-Milstein J
Alternative payment models and hospital engagement in health information exchange.
The purpose of this study was to assess whether hospital participation in alternative payment models (APMs) was associated with greater engagement in health information exchange (HIE) along 4 dimensions: volume of patients for whom information is exchanged, diversity of information types, breadth of partner types, and depth of technical approach. Findings suggest that APM participation was associated with greater HIE diversity, breadth, and depth that value-based payment may be spurring improvements in HIE infrastructure; however, the finding that APM participation is associated with lower HIE volume suggests that there may be incentive to focus HIE investments on a limited number of partners.
AHRQ-funded; HS024525; HS024728.
Citation: Lin SC, Hollingsworth JM, Adler-Milstein J .
Alternative payment models and hospital engagement in health information exchange.
Am J Manag Care 2019 Jan 1;25(1):e1-e6..
Keywords: Payment, Health Information Exchange (HIE), Hospitals
Meddings J, Smith SN, Hofer TP
Mixed messages to consumers from Medicare: Hospital Compare grades versus value-based payment penalty.
This study examined the discrepancy of ratings with hospitals with low readmission grades for heart failure (HF) and acute myocardial infarction (AMI) on the Hospital Compare website, yet received penalties for excessive readmissions under the hospital Readmissions Reduction Program. A retrospective data analysis was conducted of 2956 hospitals that had publicly reported HF grades on Hospital Compare. Of those, 92% were graded as “no different” than the national rate for HD readmissions, yet included 48.6% that were scored as having excessive HF admissions and 87% received an overall readmission penalty. Of the 120 hospitals graded as “better”, none were scored as having excessive HF readmissions and 50% were penalized. There were similar results for AMI.
AHRQ-funded; HS018334; HS019767.
Citation: Meddings J, Smith SN, Hofer TP .
Mixed messages to consumers from Medicare: Hospital Compare grades versus value-based payment penalty.
Am J Manag Care 2018 Dec;24(12):e399-e403..
Keywords: Medicare, Hospital Readmissions, Heart Disease and Health, Hospitals, Quality of Care, Cardiovascular Conditions, Provider Performance, Payment
Huckfeldt P, Escarce J, Wilcock A
HF mortality trends under Medicare readmissions reduction program at penalized and nonpenalized hospitals.
After announcement and implementation of the Medicare Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP), 30-day readmissions declined rapidly among seniors with heart failure (HF) while 30-day mortality rose. This raised questions about whether the policy was responsible, because lower HF readmission rates have historically been associated with higher mortality. In this study, the investigators compared trends in heart failure (HF) mortality at penalized and nonpenalized hospitals nationally.
AHRQ-funded; HS024284.
Citation: Huckfeldt P, Escarce J, Wilcock A .
HF mortality trends under Medicare readmissions reduction program at penalized and nonpenalized hospitals.
J Am Coll Cardiol 2018 Nov 13;72(20):2539-40. doi: 10.1016/j.jacc.2018.08.2174..
Keywords: Mortality, Heart Disease and Health, Cardiovascular Conditions, Hospital Readmissions, Medicare, Hospitals, Provider Performance, Payment
Makam AN, Nguyen OK, Kirby B
Effect of site-neutral payment policy on long-term acute care hospital use.
The purpose of this study was to assess the projected effect of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services new site-neutral payment policy, which aims to decrease unnecessary long-term acute care hospital (LTACH) admissions by reducing reimbursements for less-ill individuals by 2020. The investigators concluded that the site-neutral payment policy may limit LTACH access in existing LTAC-scarce markets, with potential adverse implications for recovery of hospitalized older adults.
AHRQ-funded; HS022418.
Citation: Makam AN, Nguyen OK, Kirby B .
Effect of site-neutral payment policy on long-term acute care hospital use.
J Am Geriatr Soc 2018 Nov;66(11):2104-11. doi: 10.1111/jgs.15539..
Keywords: Policy, Hospitalization, Payment, Long-Term Care, Healthcare Costs, Medicare, Elderly, Hospitals
Bazzoli GJ, Thompson MP, Waters TM
Medicare payment penalties and safety net hospital profitability: minimal impact on these vulnerable hospitals.
The purpose of this study was to examine relationships between penalties assessed by Medicare's Hospital Readmission Reduction Program and Value-Based Purchasing Program and hospital financial condition. The investigators conducted bivariate and multivariate analysis of pooled cross-sectional data and found that safety net hospitals appear to rely on nonpatient care revenues to offset higher penalties for the years studied. They assert that while reassuring, these funding streams are volatile and may not be able to compensate for cumulative losses over time.
AHRQ-funded; HS023783.
Citation: Bazzoli GJ, Thompson MP, Waters TM .
Medicare payment penalties and safety net hospital profitability: minimal impact on these vulnerable hospitals.
Health Serv Res 2018 Oct;53(5):3495-506. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.12833.
.
.
Keywords: Payment, Hospitals, Medicare