Medicare Advantage (MA) beneficiaries who had a stroke or hip fracture are being admitted to inpatient rehabilitation facilities less often, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society in April 2026. 
 
The study followed over 270,000 MA and traditional Medicare patients who were hospitalized after a stroke or hip fracture through discharge and into post-acute care. When comparing MA beneficiaries to traditional Medicare patients, the study authors noted that MA patients who had a hip fracture were more likely to be transferred to a skilled nursing facility (SNF). Those who experienced a stroke, however, were more often discharged to home health.  
 
Home health referrals who had a stroke saw a 7.1% relative increase in 30-day mortality and an 18% increase in 90-day mortality.   
“These findings suggest that MA's strategy of shifting patients to lower-cost settings may carry unintended adverse consequences for clinically complex patients,” the study authors note. 
 
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