Medicare Pilot Project Aims To Reduce Hospital Readmissions For Chronically Ill Beneficiaries

Main Category: Medicare / Medicaid / SCHIP
Also Included In: Public Health
Article Date: 12 Mar 2009 - 5:00 PDT

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Baton Rouge, La., is one of 14 communities nationwide participating in a pilot project that aims to reduce Medicare costs by preventing frequent hospital readmissions for chronically ill beneficiaries, the Baton Rouge Advocate reports. The program is focusing on hospital discharge procedures involving pneumonia, heart attack and congestive heart failure patients. Under the program, called the Care Transitions Project, patients sign a consent form agreeing to meet with a "transition coach" who will provide them with information about staying healthy. Coaches help patients create a list of questions for their primary care physician, develop a "self-care" plan and discuss questions about medications. Patients meet with the coach before leaving the hospital and 48 hours after they are discharged, with follow-ups one week, two weeks and one month after being discharged.

Nationwide, readmissions and subsequent treatments account for about $12 billion in Medicare costs annually, according to CMS. In Louisiana, two of every 10 chronically ill elderly patients are readmitted to the hospital within 30 days of being discharged, Gary Curtis, head of Louisiana Health Care Review, said. According to Curtis, "It's not that good care is not happening. It's the chaos in the continuum of care," as patients do not understand what they should do after leaving the hospital regarding such issues as taking medications or calling physicians in the event of symptoms. The goal of the program is to reduce readmission rates in the Baton Rouge area to 10% or less within three years, according to project director Scott Flowers (Shulder, Baton Rouge Advocate, 3/10).

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