Medicare Enrollees Left Acute-Care Hospitals Against Medical Advice At Increasing Rates

On August 18, 2025, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services' Office of Inspector General published this report, which found that between 2006 and 2023, the rate of enrollees who left hospitalizations against medical advice (AMA) increased by almost 50%. The rate increased from approximately 0.68% of discharges in 2006, to 0.99% of discharges in 2019. During the COVID public health emergency, the rates increased to as much as 1.17% before dropping down to 1% in 2023, a rate still slightly higher than the pre-PHE level . . .