Eric A. Coleman, MD, MPH

Rural patients receive less postacute care after hospital discharge than urban patients, especially after elective joint replacement-a condition selected for bundled payments.

Caregivers' presence during patient recruitment is associated with a greater rate of completion of a post hospital transitional care coaching intervention, particularly among men.

This commentary proposes a bundled measure of unplanned post-hospital care to better assess the true impact of readmissions reductions programs and to avoid unintended consequences.