30-Day readmission rates go public, fueling CMS desire for a "new normal"

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has added 30-day readmission rates for Medicare patients hospitalized for heart attack, heart failure, and pneumonia to the measures published on its Hospital Compare Web site. The data reflect Medicare billing records from July 2005 to June 2008. Many see the new reporting of readmission rates on Hospital Compare as a first step toward factoring readmission rates into payment, says Sg2 Vice President Joan Moss.