Some of Northern Illinois' most prominent research hospitals face penalties for having too many patients return for a second visit within a month of being admitted.
Medicare will send less reimbursement money to about 65 percent of the state's hospitals in the coming year because of the number of re-admissions. That's according to data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
Doctors and administrators say the assessment doesn't reflect the complicated social and procedural challenges they must confront. Many are still taking steps to meet their goal, which is to improve the care patients receive after they walk out of the hospital.