Eighty-two Illinois hospitals will pay more than $16 million in collective readmission penalties for not reducing their preventable readmissions, the state Department of Healthcare and Family Services announced last week. State officials said 147 hospitals had unacceptable potentially preventable readmissions levels, but 65 were able to lower them significantly enough to evade the penalties. "Not all readmissions can be prevented, but Illinois hospitals can do better," department Director Julie Hemos said in the announcement. "We hope that this initiative will encourage providers to reduce their potentially preventable readmissions so that Medicaid clients get and stay healthier and the state sees lower costs." Announcement