Michael L. Barnett
@mlbarnett.bsky.social
health policy researcher, primary care physician, dad
Overall, we estimate that longer hospital stays for Medicare Advantage patients are contributing to close to 2 million extra hospital bed days occupied by people who don't need to be there any more annually. This is a huge waste and bad for patient care.
Why is this happening?
Why is this happening?
September 8, 2025 at 8:58 PM
Overall, we estimate that longer hospital stays for Medicare Advantage patients are contributing to close to 2 million extra hospital bed days occupied by people who don't need to be there any more annually. This is a huge waste and bad for patient care.
Why is this happening?
Why is this happening?
When you break things down, the one group with higher lengths of stay are patients enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans - in particular, those going to a nursing home for rehab.
The likelihood that these patients stay in the hospital for ≥14 days increased by ~30% from 2018 to 2023.
The likelihood that these patients stay in the hospital for ≥14 days increased by ~30% from 2018 to 2023.
September 8, 2025 at 8:58 PM
When you break things down, the one group with higher lengths of stay are patients enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans - in particular, those going to a nursing home for rehab.
The likelihood that these patients stay in the hospital for ≥14 days increased by ~30% from 2018 to 2023.
The likelihood that these patients stay in the hospital for ≥14 days increased by ~30% from 2018 to 2023.
We studied Medicare hospital claims from 2017 to 2023 and found something striking.
The likelihood that any hospital stay in Medicare was longer than 14, 21 or 28 days (a VERY long time for a hospital stay)has gone up substantially since the pandemic and stayed high. There's a pattern, though ...
The likelihood that any hospital stay in Medicare was longer than 14, 21 or 28 days (a VERY long time for a hospital stay)has gone up substantially since the pandemic and stayed high. There's a pattern, though ...
September 8, 2025 at 8:58 PM
We studied Medicare hospital claims from 2017 to 2023 and found something striking.
The likelihood that any hospital stay in Medicare was longer than 14, 21 or 28 days (a VERY long time for a hospital stay)has gone up substantially since the pandemic and stayed high. There's a pattern, though ...
The likelihood that any hospital stay in Medicare was longer than 14, 21 or 28 days (a VERY long time for a hospital stay)has gone up substantially since the pandemic and stayed high. There's a pattern, though ...
New paper w/ Brian McGarry, Ashvin Gandhi, and Drew Wilcock in @jamainternalmed.com!
Hospitals are complaining across the US that patients are "stuck" waiting for rehab beds at nursing homes when they are medically stable and ready for discharge. What is going on??
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
Hospitals are complaining across the US that patients are "stuck" waiting for rehab beds at nursing homes when they are medically stable and ready for discharge. What is going on??
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
September 8, 2025 at 8:58 PM
New paper w/ Brian McGarry, Ashvin Gandhi, and Drew Wilcock in @jamainternalmed.com!
Hospitals are complaining across the US that patients are "stuck" waiting for rehab beds at nursing homes when they are medically stable and ready for discharge. What is going on??
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
Hospitals are complaining across the US that patients are "stuck" waiting for rehab beds at nursing homes when they are medically stable and ready for discharge. What is going on??
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
back to baking again after a long hiatus. this canelé recipe always delivers
July 8, 2025 at 2:19 AM
back to baking again after a long hiatus. this canelé recipe always delivers
From r/NIH ... we have to make ourselves impossible to ignore to save science itself in the US
www.reddit.com/r/NIH/s/WS3v...
www.reddit.com/r/NIH/s/WS3v...
May 16, 2025 at 6:48 PM
From r/NIH ... we have to make ourselves impossible to ignore to save science itself in the US
www.reddit.com/r/NIH/s/WS3v...
www.reddit.com/r/NIH/s/WS3v...
courtesy of r/programmerhumor
April 7, 2025 at 12:41 AM
courtesy of r/programmerhumor
RFK is planning to merge ASPE and AHRQ into one "Office of Strategy" at HHS. Unlikely to be good news for AHRQ's research mission.
from @wsj.com
www.wsj.com/politics/pol...
from @wsj.com
www.wsj.com/politics/pol...
March 27, 2025 at 12:25 PM
RFK is planning to merge ASPE and AHRQ into one "Office of Strategy" at HHS. Unlikely to be good news for AHRQ's research mission.
from @wsj.com
www.wsj.com/politics/pol...
from @wsj.com
www.wsj.com/politics/pol...
text i sent last week
February 11, 2025 at 12:04 AM
text i sent last week
Harvard had $686 million in federal sponsored grants - on Monday a HUGE chunk of that goes poof. This is apocalyptic for universities and teaching hospitals.
February 8, 2025 at 12:53 AM
Harvard had $686 million in federal sponsored grants - on Monday a HUGE chunk of that goes poof. This is apocalyptic for universities and teaching hospitals.
WHAT. IS. THIS.
January 31, 2025 at 4:52 PM
WHAT. IS. THIS.
TIL that there is a product for <$20 that guides patients through self-earwax removal with a live camera feed.
at the moment, i'm going to say this is not approved by 9 out of 10 doctors
at the moment, i'm going to say this is not approved by 9 out of 10 doctors
November 12, 2024 at 10:31 PM
TIL that there is a product for <$20 that guides patients through self-earwax removal with a live camera feed.
at the moment, i'm going to say this is not approved by 9 out of 10 doctors
at the moment, i'm going to say this is not approved by 9 out of 10 doctors
Big day for me. Physician burnout has been averted for another 12 months with a gift of an MGB branded lunch box and socks for national doctors day! Prior auths, piles of disability forms, huge referral wait lists and absent specialists, no problem.
March 26, 2024 at 5:29 PM
Big day for me. Physician burnout has been averted for another 12 months with a gift of an MGB branded lunch box and socks for national doctors day! Prior auths, piles of disability forms, huge referral wait lists and absent specialists, no problem.