Joint Surgery Data Suggest CMS Readmission Effort Works: AARP

Early evidence on joint replacements suggests Medicare’s hospital readmission reduction program is working, a Nov. 12 report found.

The report by the AARP Public Policy Institute found that between 2009 and 2013, the readmission rate for hip replacements in adults ages 50-84 fell by 20 percent, from 4.2 percent to 3.4 percent. During that same time, the readmission rate for knee replacements in adults ages 50-84 fell by 23 percent, from 4.5 percent to 3.4 percent, the report said.

The falling readmission rates occurred during a time when knee and hip replacement surgeries grew in popularity. According to the report, ...