Hospital charges increase while length of stay decreases - Opinion - Brief Article

AORN Journal,  Nov, 2002  

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From 1993 to 2000, the average hospital charge for treating a patient admitted for a heart attack increased by roughly 33%, according to a Sept 18, 2002, news release from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). The agency has an interactive, online hospital statistics tool that shows the average charge increased from $20,578 in 1993 to $28,663 in 2000. During this same period, the average length of stay decreased 26% from 7.4 to 5.5 days.

Total average charge is the total amount that hospitals charge for services, including nursing care, laboratory analyses, diagnostic tests, medications, and OR and patient room use. This amount does not include physicians' fees. Typically, hospital charges are higher than the amount hospitals are reimbursed by public and commercial insurers.

According to AHRQ's data, total charges also increased for other high-cost conditions during this time frame, while length of stay decreased. Much of the total charge increase can be explained by new technologies and rising medication costs. Conditions for which charges increased and patient stays decreased include

* blood poisoning--$17,909 to $24,365; 10.0 days to 8.2 days;

* heart rhythm disturbances--$10,152 to $14,213; 4.7 days to 3.6 days;

* stroke--$15,365 to $19,956; 9.5 days to 6.7 days;

* diabetes--$11,021 to $14,779; 7.4 days to 5.6 days;

* pneumonia--$12,860 to $15,104; 7.8 days to 6.0 days;

* congestive heart failure--$11,995 to $15,293; 7.4 days to 5.6 days;

* nonspecific chest pain--$5,135 to $7,543; 2.5 days to 1.8 days; and

* chronic obstructive lung diseases--$11,263 to $12,491; 7.2 days to 5.3 days.

AHRQ Data Show Rising Hospital Charges, Falling Hospital Stays (news release, Rockville, Md: Agency for Healthcare Research end Quality, Sept 18, 2002) http://www.ahrq.gov/news/press/pr2002/rishospr.htm (accessed 23 Sept 2002).

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