Los Angeles hospitals have saved more than $4 million by using the Recuperative Care Center of Los Angeles to safely and appropriately discharge homeless patients, according to a recent report by National Health Foundation (NHF).

The Recuperative Care program, developed by NHF in partnership with HASC, currently provides 35 private Los Angeles hospitals with cost-effective medical aftercare and housing assistance for discharged homeless patients. The program arose in response to local outcries against hospitals’ alleged “patient dumping.”

Prior to the NHF program, private hospitals faced a shortage of post-acute care services for their homeless patients and as a result, reported keeping them up to four days longer than medically necessary. Hospitals in Los Angeles County treat more than 18,000 homeless patients each year at a cost that contributes to the more than $4 billion in uncompensated care that Los Angeles hospitals provide.

The report highlights some of the program’s achievements since opening 22 months ago:

• More than 500 homeless patients have been admitted from private Los Angeles hospitals.
• 67 percent were discharged to some form of housing option.
• Only 10 percent of admitted patients were readmitted to the hospital.
• Hospital savings so far are estimated at over $4 million.

The program is sustained by fees paid by participating private hospitals and receives no government funding.

Download the complete report. For more information about this project, contact NHF or visit www.nhfca.org.

Contact: Kelly Bruno
(213) 538-0708, kbruno@nhfca.org