Readmissions for Cirrhosis Within the Healthcare Readmissions Reduction Program: A Hidden Challenge

With the passage of the Affordable Care Act, the Healthcare Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP) was implemented, leading to significant reductions in readmissions for congestive heart failure, pneumonia, and myocardial infarction. Patients with cirrhosis have a complex and difficult to manage underlying disease process and are often left out of large policy decisions such as the HRRP although they represent a population at high risk for readmission and other negative outcomes. In this editorial, hospital readmissions in patients with cirrhosis are discussed in the context of the HRRP and evolving models of care.