JAMA Viewpoint calls for updates to CMS' three-day inpatient policy

Although there is little empirical evidence that eliminating the three-day stay rule will improve patient care without increasing Medicare costs, there is also concern that this rule contributes to suboptimal care and increases costs attributable to avoidable hospitalizations. “There is a critical need to update payments and policies that address conditions that cause avoidable hospitalizations,” a recent online JAMA Viewpoint asserts.