SNF Hospital Admission Rates Higher Amid Staffing Challenges, GAO Report Says
Skilled Nursing News August 10, 2021
Out of thousands of skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) across the country, Medicare spent nearly $28 billion in 2019 on short-term care for 1.5 million beneficiaries, but in a study released this week, The U.S. Government Accountability Office argues that SNF hospital readmission rates are higher than they should be due to staffing challenges.
It noted that stronger payment incentives to provide better care would help.
GAO analyzed CMS staffing and critical incidents data, information on Care Compare and Medicare claims data for 2018 and 2019 and interviewed Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) officials and other stakeholders for the study.
Medicare spent an estimated $5 billion in 2018 on critical incidents that the CMS defines as potentially preventable, the...