Medscape December 9, 2025
Medicare spent $25 billion on patient care at skilled nursing facilities in 2023, where, to qualify for coverage, a patient must need daily skilled nursing or rehabilitation services.
Hospital readmissions from these facilities have long remained at a fairly consistent rate of 20%-25% within a 30-day window, which represents a significant challenge for patients, healthcare systems, and payers alike. Unplanned returns to the hospital occur for a variety of reasons and can indicate gaps in care coordination, patient monitoring, or discharge planning while placing vulnerable populations — including older adults, those with complex medical conditions, and members of marginalized communities — at a greater risk for poor outcomes.
High readmission rates also carry financial implications: In 2021, the Government Accountability...
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