Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. In addition, the economic costs of cardiovascular disease are staggering; it is estimated that by 2035, spending will increase from $555 billion to $1.1 trillion annually. As part of the Affordable Care Act of 2010, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) introduced measures with the intent of improving quality and reducing excess expenditure on healthcare and cardiovascular disease, reducing avoidable hospital readmissions and improving the quality of inpatient and post-acute care: the Hospital Readmission Reduction Program (HRRP) and the Hospital Value-Based Purchasing Program (HVBP).