Odds aren't on the side of Medicare stroke survivors, study shows

So you survive a stroke and are discharged from the hospital, probably counting your blessings that you’re still alive. But if you’re a Medicare beneficiary, it’s not likely to be smooth sailing: a new study finds the odds of either ending up dead or back in the hospital within a year are 62%.

Researchers analyzed outcome data covering 91,134 Medicare beneficiaries at 625 hospitals between April 2003 and December 2006. Some other stats: