How Do Medicaid Hospital Readmission Rates Compare To Other Payers?

The federal Agency for Health Care Research and Quality (AHRQ) defines hospital readmissions as a hospital admission to the same or a different hospital following an original admission (also termed an index stay). Readmissions may be tracked at various points in time — usually 7, 14, or 30 days after being discharged from the initial hospital stay. The method used by the AHRQ for calculating readmissions captures only one readmission per admission, but a single patient may be counted multiple times if separately admitted during the period being measured. AHRQ issues periodic statistical briefs on inpatient hospitalization trends, including readmissions . . .