Key Takeaways
Between 2016 and 2020, the 30-day all-cause hospital readmission rate consistently stayed at 13.9 per 100 index admissions.
Patients aged 21–64 with Medicare as their expected payer and nonmaternal patients aged 45–64 with Medicaid had the highest readmission rates by expected payer and age, recording 21.4 and 19.7 per 100 index admissions, respectively.
Examining readmission rates by race/ethnicity, non-Hispanic Black patients had the highest rate at 16.0 per 100 index admissions, while non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander patients had the lowest at 11.7 per 100 index admissions.
Hospital stays for blood diseases had the highest readmission rate at 23.8 per 100 index admissions, followed by stays for neoplasms at 19.0 per 100 index admissions.
The average cost of readmissions was 12.4% higher than that of index admissions, totaling $16,300 compared to $14,500.
1. Overall Readmission Trends
Between 2016 and 2020, the 30-day all-cause hospital readmission rate consistently stayed at 13.9 per 100 index admissions.
In 2020, the number of readmissions saw a 10% decrease compared to 2016-2019.
Comparing the pre-pandemic years (2016-2019) to 2020, the number of readmissions fell by 14.6 percent for patients in large central metropolitan areas and by 11.7 percent for those in rural areas.
2. Readmission Rates by Payer, Age, and Race
Patients aged 21–64 with Medicare as their expected payer and nonmaternal patients aged 45–64 with Medicaid had the highest readmission rates by expected payer and age, recording 21.4 and 19.7 per 100 index admissions, respectively.
Examining readmission rates by race/ethnicity, non-Hispanic Black patients had the highest rate at 16.0 per 100 index admissions, while non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander patients had the lowest at 11.7 per 100 index admissions.
3. Readmission Rates by Diagnosis
Hospital stays for blood diseases had the highest readmission rate at 23.8 per 100 index admissions, followed by stays for neoplasms at 19.0 per 100 index admissions.
That same year, circulatory system diseases made up the largest share of all readmissions by condition at 16.8%, with infectious and parasitic diseases at 12.4% and digestive system diseases at 11.6%.
With a readmission rate of 3.6 per 100 index admissions, pregnancy and childbirth had the lowest rate—more than 70% lower than the overall readmission rate.
For every 1.5 percentage point increase in a hospital's readmission rate, there was a 13% higher relative risk of patients experiencing adverse events.
4. Readmission Costs
The average cost of readmissions was 12.4% higher than that of index admissions, totaling $16,300 compared to $14,500.
For 11 conditions, the average cost of readmissions was higher than that of index admissions, including:
Nervous system diseases ($17,100 vs. $14,200 for the index admission)
Blood diseases ($16,900 vs. $11,800)
Digestive diseases ($16,400 vs. $13,000)
Respiratory diseases ($16,400 vs. $12,700)
Eye/adnexa diseases ($15,800 vs. $10,100)
Ear/mastoid process diseases ($15,500 vs. $8,200)
Endocrine/metabolic diseases ($15,200 vs. $12,000)
Genitourinary system diseases ($15,200 vs. $11,300)
Skin diseases ($15,000 vs. $9,500)
Mental/behavioral disorders ($8,800 vs. $7,700)
Pregnancy/childbirth ($7,700 vs. $5,800)
5. Readmission Rates by Geographic Location
Throughout both the pre-pandemic years (2016-2019) and the initial pandemic period in 2020, the 30-day all-cause readmission rate by location remained consistently highest for patients living in large central metropolitan areas and lowest for those in rural areas. Specifically, the rates were 14.8 and 13.0 per 100 index admissions in 2016-2019, and 14.6 and 13.0 per 100 index admissions in 2020.
Hospitals in Massachusetts reported the highest average readmission rate at 15.3%.
Additionally, hospitals in Florida, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Connecticut had average readmission rates exceeding 15.0%.
The lowest average readmission rates—below 14%—were observed in hospitals located in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, and Hawaii.
6. Average Hospital Readmission Rates by States
Average readmission rate for hospitals in the US by state:
Alabama – 14.48
Alaska – 14.34%
Arizona – 14.39
Arkansas – 14.73
California – 14.73%
Colorado – 14.22
Connecticut – 15.01
Delaware – 14.16
Florida – 15.09
Georgia – 14.66
Hawaii – 13.87%
Idaho – 13.98
Illinois – 14.91
Indiana – 14.36
Iowa – 14.27
Kansas – 14.41
Kentucky – 14.69
Louisiana – 14.61
Maine – 14.21
Maryland – 14.19
Massachusetts – 15.33
Michigan – 14.56
Minnesota – 14.36
Mississippi – 14.72
Missouri – 14.60
Montana – 14.30%
Nebraska – 14.33
Nevada – 14.91
New Hampshire – 14.55
New Jersey – 15.23
New Mexico – 14.33
New York – 14.92
North Carolina – 14.35
North Dakota – 14.42
Ohio – 14.60
Oklahoma – 14.41
Oregon – 13.98%
Pennsylvania – 14.71
Rhode Island – 15.05
South Carolina – 14.48
South Dakota – 14.35
Tennessee – 14.67
Texas – 14.51
Utah – 13.90
Vermont – 14.52
Virginia – 14.43
Washington – 13.92%
West Virginia – 14.84
Wisconsin – 14.28
Wyoming – 14.16%
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