Medicaid bed-hold policy and Medicare skilled nursing facility rehospitalizations.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To analyze the effect of states' Medicaid bed-hold policies on the 30-day rehospitalization of Medicare postacute skilled nursing facility (SNF) residents.

Data sources

Minimum data set assessments were merged with Medicare claims and eligibility files for all first-time SNF admissions (N = 3,322,088) over the period 2000 through 2005; states' Medicaid bed-hold policies were obtained via survey.

Study design

Regression specification incorporating facility fixed effects to examine changes in Medicaid bed-hold policies on the likelihood of a 30-day SNF rehospitalization.

Principal findings

Using a continuous measure of bed-hold generosity, state Medicaid bed-hold was positively related to Medicare SNF rehospitalization. Specifically, the introduction of

SUBMITTER: Grabowski DC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3029851 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature