CMS launches nursing partnerships to curb readmissions

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services yesterday announced a partnership with 145 nursing facilities in seven states under the "Initiative to Reduce Avoidable Hospitalizations among Nursing Facility Residents" program. The partnerships will offer funding to improve care transitions and leverage technology for nursing facility residents who are enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid--some of the most fragile populations, according to CMS. Nearly half (45 percent) of hospitalizations among Medicare-Medicaid enrollees who receive skilled nursing facility services could have been avoided, estimated to cost between $7 billion and 8 billion in 2011. Announcement