According to a new issue brief from the New England Health Institute (NEHI), improvement in medication management and adherence are the keys to reducing readmissions. The brief says it’s smart for providers to start implementing medication adherence policies with discharge planning since penalties from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) when Medicare patients are readmitted for various chronic illnesses within 30-days of discharge have begun to take place.

“Medication management and improved adherence are critical tools for lowering readmissions,” said NEHI Executive Director Valerie Fleishman. “And new models of hospital discharge planning are showing the way.” Readmissions and medication non-adherence can cost the industry $25 billion on the first and $290 billion on the latter, according to NEHI research

In the brief, NEHI looks at various models of advanced discharge planning and transitional care that have medication management at their core. The models include elements such as accountability, teamwork, medication reconciliation, patient engagement, and follow-up, according to NEHI.