In 2011, there were approximately 3.3 million hospital readmissions in the United States

contributing $4.3 billion in total hospital costs, broken down as follows: • Medicare had 55.9% of total readmissions and 58.2% of associated costs for readmissions • Medicaid had 20.6% of total readmissions and 18.4% of associated costs • Private insurance had 18.6% of total readmissions and 19.6% of associated costs • The uninsured had only 4.9% of total readmissions and 3.7% of associated costs Source: "Conditions With the Largest Number of Adult Hospital Readmissions by Payer, 2011," Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Statistical Brief #172, April 2014, http://www.hcup-us.ahrq.gov/reports/statbriefs/sb172-Conditions-Readmissions-Payer.jsp