RT Journal
A1 Vaduganathan M, Bonow RO, Gheorghiade M
T1 Thirty-day readmissions: The clock is ticking
JF JAMA
JO JAMA
YR 2013
FD January 23
VO 309
IS 4
SP 345
OP 346
DO 10.1001/jama.2012.205110
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jama.2012.205110
AB 
Today, approximately one-quarter of all patients discharged from a hospitalization for heart failure are readmitted within 30 days, and half of these readmissions are directly related to heart failure.1 On October 1, 2012, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) began to penalize hospitals for higher standardized early readmission rates for heart failure, acute myocardial infarction, and pneumonia. It is anticipated that these penalties will increase and also expand to include other diseases, making this provision one of the most severe penalties mandated by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.