Of the 10 most common readmissions conditions for Medicaid patients, septicemia resulted in the highest costs for hospitals, according to an Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality statistical brief.
In 2011, septicemia readmissions for Medicaid patients cost hospitals $319 million, but septicemia was only the eighth most common readmission condition. The most common readmission condition for Medicaid patients was mood disorders, which cost $286 million.
Overall, Medicaid readmission costs pale in comparison to Medicare. The 10 most common Medicaid readmissions cost hospitals $2.06 billion in 2011, while congestive heart failure — the most common and expensive Medicare readmission — cost $1.75 billion alone.
Here are the costs of the 10 most common Medicaid readmissions, according to the AHRQ brief. Note: Costs were defined as the actual expenses incurred in the production of hospital services (such as wages, supplies and utility costs). A readmission was defined as a patient who was hospitalized within 30 days of a previous hospital admission.
1. Septicemia (except in labor) — $319 million (17,600 total readmissions)
2. Schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders — $302 million (35,800 total readmissions)
3. Mood disorders — $286 million (41,600 total readmissions)
4. Congestive heart failure (nonhypertensive) — $273 million (18,800 total readmissions)
5. Diabetes mellitus with complications — $251 million (23,700 total readmissions)
6. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and bronchiectasis — $178 million (16,400 total readmissions)
7. Alcohol-related disorders — $141 million (20,500 total readmissions)
8. Other complications of pregnancy — $122 million (21,500 total readmissions)
9. Substance-related disorders — $103 million (15,200 total readmissions)
10. Early or threatened labor — $86 million (19,000 total readmissions)
To view the costs of the 10 most common Medicare readmissions in 2011, click here.
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