Rehospitalization risk factors for psychiatric treatment among elderly Medicaid beneficiaries following hospitalization for a physical health condition.

Objectives: Hospitalizations for physical health problems can cause great mental health challenges. We examined risk factors and expenditures for early readmission for inpatient psychiatric treatment following a hospitalization for a non-psychiatric condition.

Method: We used eight years of Florida Medicaid enrollment and claims data for (FY 2003-2011) as well as data obtained from the Florida Center for Health Information and Policy Analysis, Inpatient Hospital Database, to identify episodes of hospitalization for all Medicaid-enrolled older adults.