A Decade of Observing the Hospital Readmission Reductions Program—Time to Retire an Ineffective Policy

Abstract

The Hospital Readmission Reductions Program (HRRP), a national value-based program that aimed to incentivize improvements in care delivery by penalizing hospitals with higher-than-expected 30-day readmission rates, has been controversial since its enactment under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Over the past decade, numerous studies have questioned the impact of the program and raised concern about unintended consequences. In a new study, Sabbatini and colleagues 1 provide additional evidence highlighting that the HRRP has largely been ineffective.

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