Half of Medicare patients did not receive recommended healthcare after hospitalization

In the period from October 2015 to September 2016, before the Affordable Care Act, a substantial portion of Medicare patients referred to home healthcare after hospitalization did not receive that care, new findings show.

Using national data, the researchers detailed how often Medicare patients referred to home healthcare services after a hospital discharge received one or more home healthcare visits. They examined variation in the rates of successful home healthcare referrals by patient sociodemographic characteristics.

The study, “Assessment of Receipt of the First Home Health Care Visit After Hospital Discharge Among Older Adults,” was published this week by the JAMA Network Open.

Click here to see the full article on the Healthcare Finance website.