M&R claims 53% of Medicare days are avoidable

Milliman & Robertson’s latest Hospital Efficiency Index claims that more than half of all inpatient days for Medicare patients are avoidable. Further, the index, which compares national average lengths of hospital stay and admissions to benchmarks achieved by top hospitals, concludes that average length of stay for all Medicare patients could be reduced from 6.6 to 4.1 days and admissions could be reduced by 38% if hospitals operated more efficiently. The report adds that, if care were provided outside the hospital, 16% of all admissions could be avoided.

According to the index, states with the most efficient hospitals include Oregon, Utah, and Washington. The least efficient is Mississippi.