HRRP
Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program
A Medicare program that can reduce applicable hospital payments based on specified readmission measures. Conditions and procedures have distinct measure definitions.
Official source →FAQ & Glossary
Short explanations for using the public information. These definitions support discussion; official program and billing guidance remains the detailed reference.
Frequently asked questions
What can a facility brief or guided review show?
Facility information, readmission comparisons, related inpatient service activity, payment context and selected program relationships. Each view shows its coverage and limitations.
What does Lime Health add to public data?
We bring together source records, calculate comparisons and connect related service activity so that teams can examine a more consolidated picture and choose useful questions.
Does a public signal show that a hospital has a workflow problem?
No. It can suggest a question. Local processes, relevant information and the people doing the work are needed to assess an explanation.
Is related inpatient activity the HRRP patient population?
No. It describes published Medicare inpatient services mapped to a related condition or procedure. The mapping does not reproduce the HRRP eligible patient group or total hospital workload.
Does missing data mean no activity?
No. A value may be suppressed, unavailable, not reported or not applicable. The view identifies the state where known; absence is not zero.
Are these the latest data?
Check each view’s reporting period and source release. Different datasets update at different times. A recent check does not make historical observations current.
Do I have to engage Lime Health to use the information?
No service or financial commitment is required for the current exploration experience. You can request a facility brief or guided walkthrough. Individual portal accounts are not available through this website.
Do you accept patient information?
No. Do not submit patient information or private operational records through this review experience. Any later data review needs a separately agreed purpose, permissions and safeguards.
How can I suggest a correction?
Use the report-data-issue control when available, or reply to the person who shared the material. Identify the source and date. Do not include patient information. Reporting an issue does not automatically change the source.
Can we examine together online?
A shared online workspace is planned. Current saved questions and drafts are local review tools. A discussion can begin without a shared workspace.
Do the briefs include TEAM, TCM or FY2027 HRRP?
No. TEAM, TCM and FY2027 HRRP results are not included in the current facility briefs. They remain separate from the data currently used to generate a brief.
CMS terms explained
HRRPERRDifference from the state medianState standingRelated inpatient service activityPayment adjustment factorMSSP / ACOACCESSTEAMTCM99495 / 99496CCNNPICMSMedicare FFS
ERR
Excess readmission ratio
A risk-standardized comparison of predicted to expected readmissions. An ERR above 1 indicates more predicted than expected readmissions under the applicable measure method; it is not a readmission percentage.
Official source →Difference from the state median
Comparison with the state median
Facility ERR minus the median ERR among the qualified reporting hospitals in that state. This descriptive comparison is not the CMS payment calculation.
Official source →State standing
Position among reporting hospitals
Shows how a facility’s ERR compares with other reporting hospitals in the same state for that measure. Reporting counts and ties matter; standing does not establish a cause.
Official source →Related inpatient service activity
Published service context
Counts published Medicare inpatient discharges in mapped service groups. These are related services, not the exact HRRP patient group. Suppressed detail and other payers limit coverage.
Official source →Payment adjustment factor
Hospital-level payment context
A multiplier used in the applicable HRRP payment adjustment. It is separate from a condition’s ERR. Historical dollar estimates in the portal are not the hospital’s actual payment loss.
Official source →MSSP / ACO
Medicare Shared Savings Program / Accountable Care Organization
An ACO brings participating providers together around care quality and spending for assigned Medicare beneficiaries. Savings and loss rules depend on the participation arrangement.
Official source →ACCESS
Advancing Chronic Care with Effective, Scalable Solutions
A CMS model for technology-supported chronic care with payments linked to defined health outcomes. A shared condition or location does not prove a hospital referral relationship.
Official source →TEAM
Transforming Episode Accountability Model
A CMS payment model for selected hospitals and specified surgical episodes, including a post-discharge period. Verify hospital participation, effective date and episode eligibility.
Official source →TCM
Transitional Care Management
A Medicare service and billing framework for qualifying care after discharge to the community. Its requirements are not a definition of all discharge follow-up.
Official source →99495 / 99496
TCM billing codes
Both involve contact within two business days. Code 99495 requires at least moderate-complexity medical decision-making and a visit within 14 calendar days; 99496 requires high complexity and a visit within seven. Other requirements apply; consult CMS guidance.
Official source →CCN
CMS Certification Number
An identifier used for certified facilities/providers. Match the identifier and relevant period; a name alone may not resolve the correct facility.
Official source →NPI
National Provider Identifier
A 10-digit healthcare provider identifier. Type 1 identifies individuals; Type 2 identifies organizations. An NPI or organizational affiliation does not show who received a particular discharge.
Official source →CMS
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
The federal agency responsible for Medicare and other health coverage programs. Its publications and datasets have their own release dates and definitions.
Official source →Medicare FFS
Fee-for-service Medicare
Traditional Medicare payment for covered services. Keep the population for each dataset visible; a Medicare FFS count is not an all-payer hospital total.
Official source →Definitions reviewed for this website edition on 15 October 2026. Dataset reporting periods and source effective dates are separate; see the selected portal view.