AHRQ Statistical Brief: Conditions With the Largest Number of Adult Hospital Readmissions by Payer, 2011

AHRQ’s latest statistical brief looked at conditions in 2011 with the largest number of adult hospital readmissions by payer. In 2011, there were approximately 3.3 million adult hospital readmissions in the United States, and they were associated with about $41.3 billion in hospital costs. For Medicare patients, the three conditions with the largest number of readmissions were congestive heart failure (134,500 readmissions), septicemia (92,900 readmissions), and pneumonia (88,800 readmissions). These conditions resulted in about $4.3 billion in hospital costs. For Medicaid patients, the three conditions with the largest number of readmissions were mood disorders (41,600 readmissions), schizophrenia (35,800 readmissions), and diabetes (23,700 readmissions). These conditions resulted in about $839 million in hospital costs. For the privately insured, the three conditions with the largest number of readmissions were maintenance chemotherapy (25,500 readmissions), mood disorders (19,600 readmissions), and complications of surgical or medical care (18,000 readmissions). These conditions resulted in about $785 million in hospital costs.