The declining rate of avoidable hospitalizations in the Veterans Health Administration

Most research shows a lower rate of avoidable hospitalizations associated with better access to outpatient care. Such findings have important implications for the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), with its change from delivering mainly inpatient services to emphasizing quality ambulatory care. From 1999 to 2004 the number of avoidable hospitalizations at the VHA increased while the rate per 10,000 enrollees declined. The trend in the rate of avoidable hospitalizations and the rapid growth of the beneficiary population indicate that new enrollees had a higher health status and perhaps better access to outpatient care.