RT Journal
A1 Kangovi S, Long JA, Emanuel E
T1 COmmunity health workers combat readmission
JF Archives of Internal Medicine
JO Archives of Internal Medicine
YR 2012
FD December 10
VO 172
IS 22
SP 1756
OP 1757
DO 10.1001/2013.jamainternmed.82
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/2013.jamainternmed.82
AB 
Each year, 24.6 million Americans are hospitalized.1 Over 14% of all patients2 and nearly 20% of Medicare patients3 are readmitted within 30 days of a prior hospitalization. In 2004, unplanned readmissions cost $17.4 billion to Medicare alone. Low-income African American patients like Mr Alberts are up to 43% more likely than their higher-income white counterparts to find themselves back in the hospital within weeks of discharge.4- 5 As a result, the cost of care for these disadvantaged patients is high, as illustrated by the population of low-income patients who are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid. Dually eligible individuals cost twice as much as other Medicare beneficiaries largely because they are 4 times as likely to be readmitted to hospitals for ambulatory care–sensitive conditions.6