McLaren Port Huron hospital reduced its Medicare penalty percentage for 30-day readmissions from 2.34% in FY18 to 1.85% as of April 2019. In fact, the hospital’s overall all-payer readmission rate is trending down as well. That is no small task, considering that one of every six discharged patients in the U.S. is readmitted in fewer than 30 days, and a third of those within only seven days of discharge (Binder, L., “Medicare’s Penalties for Readmissions Work, Despite Flaws,” Forbes, 2019).
One major factor in this readmission rate reduction is McLaren’s emphasis on identifying and addressing patient social determinants of health (SDOH). The focus is on educating patients and involving them in their healthcare plan.