JOINT REPLACEMENT READMISSION PENALTY $265,000 (Orthopedics This Week)
Medicare pays for hospital stays. Medicare also counts how many patients are readmitted within 30 days after the end of their initial hospital stay. If readmissions are above the national average, adjusted for patient mix, Medicare will charge the hospital a penalty.
According to PR Newswire, Medicare will begin charging hospitals $265,000 for each excess readmission (patients who come back within 30 days) after knee or hip replacement surgery that is above the U.S. average. The article states that half of all hospitals hav...
