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Critically ill patients do better, cost Medicare less, at long-term acute care hospitals, study says
(By – , Associate Editor, www.healthcarefinancenews.com)
In most cases, the sickest patients are seeing better outcomes at the same or lower cost to Medicare when treated at a long-term acute care hospital, according to a new study commissioned by the National Association of Long Term Hospitals. The study found lower mortality rates for most non-ventilator patients with multiple organ failure, and those who had spent three or more days in an acute-care hospital’s intensive care unit prior to transfer to the long-term acute care hospital. It also found the cost to Medicare to be similar or lower compared to care in skilled nursing facilities and inpatient rehabilitation facilities. Read more…