L+M, Backus keeping patient readmission rates under control
Both Lawrence +
"We're fairly proud of our performance," said Dr.
L+M will lose 0.19 percent of its Medicare reimbursement payments during the fiscal year that began
Hospitals are penalized for patients readmitted within a month of being discharged.
Overall, 27 of 29 hospitals in the state are being penalized this year, the Connecticut Health Investigative Team reported this week. C-HIT based its report on a
Nine
"I would characterize Backus as good, with room for improvement," said Dr.
"The goal is to get to zero and we're actively pursuing that," Orlando said. "But given the barriers and obstacles, Backus performed fairly well."
Mayorga said the penalty rates are based on national averages and provide an indication of the overall care a hospital provides. Hospitals that take better care of their patients while they're admitted are likely to have lower readmission rates. Improving discharged patients' follow-up care drives rates lower.
"Making sure a patient is discharged with the right prescriptions, fully understands his or her diagnosis and has transportation to get to the pharmacy and to follow-up appointments is essential," Mayorga said.
L+M benefits from its relationship with the
"If we release patients who are homeless and we don't acknowledge that, if we don't ensure they have transportation to follow-up appointments or don't have good food, they'll be back," Mayorga said.
Orlando said discharged patients who go to nursing facilities rather than to their own homes are more likely to be readmitted to the hospital.
"Forming quality-care partnerships with nursing homes is important," he said. "If you're going into a nursing home, it's because you're sicker (than a patient returning to home). There are things you can do, like having a nurse practitioner visit a patient in a nursing home."
Given
"Nursing home care is very expensive," he said.
The Medicare program has been penalizing hospitals for high readmission rates since 2012 in connection with the Affordable Care Act's push to promote better health care.
Backus's penalty will be in the tens of thousands of dollars, a small amount given the size of the hospital's overall budget, Orlando said.
"We're motivated to do it (improve readmission rates) because it's the right to do," he said. "We don't want patients bouncing back to the hospital."
___
(c)2018 The Day (New London, Conn.)
Visit The Day (New London, Conn.) at www.theday.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
EDITORIAL: Mistake to Fire Lauderdale Manager Feldman; “Nutty” Storm Reporters; Rice for Haley at U.N.? | Letters
Michael changes to extra-tropical storm and causes unexpected Outer Banks flooding
Advisor News
Annuity News
Health/Employee Benefits News
Life Insurance News