Many Elderly Back in the Hospital Quickly

Nearly 1 out of 5 Medicare patients discharged from a hospital is admitted again within a month, a study has found. About 1 out of 3 is admitted again within three months. And half of those who are back within a month don’t even visit a doctor in between. Researchers did the study based on Medicare records. They told the Associated Press that many people leaving hospitals don’t get clear instructions on how to stay healthy at home. The issue already has drawn the attention of President Obama. He wants to reduce Medicare payments for hospital readmissions. The study was published April 2 in the New England Journal of Medicine.