Postdischarge Environment Following Heart Failure Hospitalization: Expanding the View of Hospital Readmission

Readmission after hospitalization for heart failure (HF) has received increasing attention due to the significant burden it places on patients and payers. Among Medicare beneficiaries, readmission within 30 days following heart failure hospitalization approaches 25%.2 Even after adjusting for case mix, significant variation in hospital readmission rates exists. This hospital‐level variation suggests that many of these readmissions may be preventable. HF readmission rates adjusted for risk using a claims‐based model are now publicly reported as a measure of institutional quality (www.HospitalCompare.hhs.gov). As of October 2012, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act’s (PPACA) value‐based purchasing policies began reducing Medicare payments to hospitals with “excess” HF readmissions and offered new funding opportunities for innovative approaches to reduce HF readmissions.