Cost of Hospital Care Jumped Most in 2006 for Those
With Least Resources: Uninsured
Total
cost jumped $70 billion in one year to $943 billion: Medicare, Medicaid
more than half
Sept. 18, 2008 A new government report shows the
less money an American has the more his or her hospital charges jumped
between 2005 and 2006. Hospital charges what patients are billed for
their rooms, nursing care, diagnostic tests and other services jumped
from $873 billion in 2005 to $943 billion in 2006, according to the
latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and
Quality.
The steep increase occurred even though hospitals
admissions increased only slightly, from 39.2 million to 39.5 million.
Insured patients and their health plans pay less
than the full charge, but uninsured patients are expected to pay the
full amount, according to the report.
Between 2005 and 2006, hospital charges increased
by:
● 15 percent for people with no insurance - $38
billion to $44 billion
● 9 percent for Medicaid patients - $124 billion to $135 billion
● 8 percent for Medicare patients - $411 billion to $444 billion
● 6 percent for patients with private insurance $272 billion to
$287 billion
More Highlights:
● One-fifth of the national hospital bill was
for treatment of five conditions: coronary artery disease, mothers
pregnancy and delivery, newborn infants, acute myocardial infarction
(AMI), and congestive heart failure (CHF). Hospital stays for coronary
artery disease incurred the highest total charges ($53 billion);
mothers pregnancy and delivery had the second highest total charges
($48 billion).
● Almost two-thirds of the national bill for
hospital care was billed to two government payers, Medicare ($444
billion) and Medicaid ($135 billion), while slightly less than one-third
($287 billion) was billed to private insurance and about 5 percent ($43
billion) was billed to the uninsured.
● Circulatory diseases accounted for six of the
20 most expensive conditions billed to Medicare, totaling $103 billion.
Osteoarthritis (mostly involving elective hip or knee replacements) was
the sixth most expensive condition billed to Medicare ($16 billion).
● Of hospital stays billed to Medicaid, the most
expensive conditions were related to mother's pregnancy and care of
newborn infants; schizophrenia and affective disorders were among the
top 10 most expensive conditions.
● Of hospital stays billed to private insurers,
the most expensive were related to mother's pregnancy and care of
newborn infants (totaling $41 billion); back pain was the fifth most
expensive ($10 billion).
● Among the uninsured, three of the top five
most expensive conditions were for circulatory conditions ($5 billion),
with heart attack being the most expensive reason for hospitalization.
Three of the top 10 most expensive reasons for hospitalization among the
uninsured involved injuries ($3 billion).
See charts below of most expensive conditions
paid for by each payment method
Table 1. Top 20 most expensive conditions treated in U.S.
hospitals, 2006
Source: AHRQ, Center for Delivery,
Organization, and Markets, Healthcare Cost and Utilization
Project, Nationwide Inpatient Sample, 2006
This AHRQ News and Numbers is based on data from
The National Bill: The Most Expensive Conditions by Payer, 2006 (HCUP
Statistical Brief #59). The report uses statistics from the 2006
Nationwide Inpatient Sample, a database of hospital inpatient stays that
is nationally representative of inpatient stays in all short-term,
non-Federal hospitals. The data are drawn from hospitals that comprise
90 percent of all discharges in the United States and include all
patients, regardless of insurance type, as well as the uninsured.
Keep up with the latest news for senior citizens, baby
boomers
Total
cost jumped $70 billion in one year to $943 billion: Medicare, Medicaid
more than half