AHRQ Stats

Medicare patients with three conditions had the largest number of all-cause 30-day readmissions in 2011: congestive heart failure (134,500 readmissions), septicemia (92,900 readmissions) and pneumonia (88,800 readmissions). These readmissions resulted in $4.3 billion in hospital costs. (Source: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #172: Conditions With the Largest Number of Adult Hospital Readmissions by Payer, 2011.)

Highlights

In 2011, there were approximately 3.3 million adult 30-day all-cause hospital readmissions in the United States, and they were associated with about $41.3 billion in hospital costs.

For Medicare patients, the three conditions with the largest number of 30-day all-cause readmissions were congestive heart failure (134,500 readmissions), septicemia (92,900 readmissions), and pneumonia (88,800 readmissions). These conditions resulted in about $4.3 billion in hospital costs.

For Medicaid patients, the three conditions with the largest number of 30-day all-cause readmissions were mood disorders (41,600 readmissions), schizophrenia (35,800 readmissions), and diabetes (23,700 readmissions). These conditions resulted in about $839 million in hospital costs.

For the privately insured, the three conditions with the largest number of 30-day all-cause readmissions were maintenance chemotherapy (25,500 readmissions), mood disorders (19,600 readmissions), and complications of surgical or medical care (18,000 readmissions). These conditions resulted in about $785 million in hospital costs.