CMS: Long-term care hospitalizations declined sharply
Courtesy of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on Tuesday reported a dramatic reduction in avoidable hospitalizations of Medicare and Medicaid patients living in long-term care facilities, according to a statement from the agency.
An analysis by CMS looked at hospitalization rates for patients dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid benefits who suffered from six common conditions deemed potentially avoidable by the agency. CMS found that hospitalizations for those patients decreased 31 percent between 2010 and 2015.
In 2010, the rate of potentially avoidable hospitalizations was 227 per 1,000; by 2015, it has decreased to 157 per 1,000.
Conditions measured include bacterial pneumonia; urinary tract infections; congestive heart failure; dehydration; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and skin ulcers.
CMS attributed the decrease to a range of factors, including an initiative launched in 2011 by federal agencies specifically aimed at reducing avoidable hospitalizations among nursing facility residents; a safety program that significantly reduced catheter associated urinary tract infections in participating long-term care facilities nationwide, broader hospital readmission reduction programs sponsored by the federal government, and an increase in the use of accountable care organizations that receive financial incentives for quality and efficiency.
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