42 U.S.C. § 280j: Quality improvement program for hospitals with a high severity adjusted readmission rate

Not later than 2 years after March 23, 2010 , the Secretary shall make available a program for eligible hospitals to improve their readmission rates through the use of patient safety organizations (as defined in section 299b–21(4) of this title ). In this subsection, the term “eligible hospital” means a hospital that the Secretary determines has a high rate of risk adjusted readmissions for the conditions described in section 1395ww(q)(8)(A) of this title and has not taken appropriate steps to reduce such readmissions and improve patient safety as evidenced through historically high rates of readmissions, as determined by the Secretary. The Secretary shall utilize appropriate risk adjustment measures to determine eligible hospitals. As determined appropriate by the Secretary, eligible hospitals and patient safety organizations working with those hospitals shall report to the Secretary on the processes employed by the hospital to improve readmission rates and the impact of such processes on readmission rates.