§280j–3 Quality Improvement Program for Hospitals with a High Severity Adjusted Readmission Rate

Summary

Create a program, no later than 2 years after March 23, 2010, that helps certain hospitals lower patient readmission rates by working with patient safety organizations. Eligible hospitals are those the Secretary finds have high risk‑adjusted readmission rates for the conditions listed in 42 U.S.C. 1395ww(q)(8)(A) and have not taken appropriate steps to reduce those readmissions, based on their past high rates. The Secretary must use risk adjustment to decide which hospitals qualify. As the Secretary requires, qualifying hospitals and the patient safety organizations they work with must report to the Secretary what steps they used to try to cut readmissions and how those steps affected readmission rates. Patient safety organizations are outside groups that help hospitals study and improve safety.