LAUSR

Key Points Question What is the association between the Hospital-Acquired Conditions Present on Admission program by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services pay-for-performance program and surgical care quality and costs? Findings In this cross-sectional study, the Hospital-Acquired Conditions Present on Admission program was associated with a decreased incidence of surgical site infection (0.3 percentage points) in the targeted procedures and a reduction in length of stay (0.5 days) and hospital costs (8.1%). Deep vein thrombosis and in-hospital mortality did not improve. Meaning The findings of this study suggest that the pay-for-performance program was associated with improvement on several dimensions of surgical care, including small reductions in surgical site infection and length of stay, and moderate reductions in hospital costs.