Reducing the number of readmissions to the hospital for the same patient with the same or similar symptoms is an area that is getting a lot of attention as a way to improve quality and control the cost of health care.
Nationally, about 20 percent of Medicare patients are readmitted within 30 days, and the annual cost is $20 billion, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Soon, CMS plans to stop paying hospitals for preventable readmissions that occur within the 30-day time period.
MVP Health Care is collaborating with hospitals, other health insurers and health care providers in Western New York through a program being run by the Finger Lakes Health Systems Agency. The program, called Care Transitions Intervention was developed at the University of Colorado.
The key to the program are health coaches – specially trained nurses – who help patients with diabetes, respiratory illness or cardio vascular disease to learn how to take better care of themselves. The goal of the program is to reduce the likelihood the patient will be readmitted to the hospital.
This is one of several such collaborative efforts that MVP is working on to reduce hospital readmissions.
The program was profiled in the Rochester (NY) Democrat and Chronicle by health reporter Patti Singer. To read the full story, please click here.
