Study: COVID-19 Hospitalization Costs, Outcomes In 2020 Improved Over Time (2024)
A new study published inAdvances in Therapy provides the first comprehensive analysis of the hospitalization costs for COVID-19 patients, factors associated with costs and length of stay, and the monthly trends of costs and length of stay from April to December 2020 in the United States.
A multidisciplinary team includingRobert L. Ohsfeldt, regents professor and Ph.D. program co-chair in the Department of Health Policy and Management at the Texas A&M University School of Public Health, used admissions and discharge data from patient records in the Premier Healthcare Database to estimate the inpatient costs and length of stay for patients in the hospital overall, as well as those patients specifically in the intensive care unit (ICU). Regression analyses were used to examine patient and hospital characteristics for factors associated with changes in costs and length of stay.
For hospitalized patients overall, the median length of stay was six days, median total cost was $11,267 and median cost per day was $1,772. For ICU patients, the median length of stay was five days with a median total cost of $13,443 and a median cost per day of $2,902.
Patients who were older, had additional medical conditions, and were put on mechanical ventilation had higher hospitalization costs, longer stays in the hospital, and increased risk of death. Other factors that increased cost, length of stay, or risk of death included race, level of care and discharge to long-term care facilities.
Monthly trends showed overall average hospitalization costs decreased by 26 percent and average overall length of stay decreased from 13 to 10 days from April to December, adjusted for differences in the ages, COVID-19 case severity, and other characteristics of hospitalized patients over the study period. These improvements could be attributable to increased understanding of the virus over time, development and refinement of treatment protocols, and the use of medications such as remdesivir.
The findings of this initial comprehensive analysis provide crucial information on and context for COVID-19 hospitalizations in the United States. Although the analysis shows that hospitalization costs and outcomes improved over time, it also underscores both the burden of the pandemic on health care resources in America and the continuing need for better treatments.
The adjusted mean cost for inpatient treatment of COVID-19 increased significantly: 26% over a 2-year period compared with a 2% to 5% average annual medical cost inflation. In general, the change in hospital costs over time was not associated with the changes in case and mortality rates.
Significant declines in inpatient and outpatient visit volume have decreased net revenue substantially. The authors estimate an immediate 50% reduction in hospital net revenue, fol- lowed by gradual improvements as shelter-in-place orders begin to loosen.
Government lockdown orders affected consumer healthcare spending behavior in many ways. Lockdowns reduced the availability of in-person medical services; prompted changes in employment status, leading to health insurance adjustments; and forced many elective surgeries to be postponed.
Daily costs were greatest on intensive care unit day 1 (mechanical ventilation, 10,794 dollars; no mechanical ventilation, 6,667 dollars), decreased on day 2 (mechanical ventilation:, 4,796 dollars; no mechanical ventilation, 3,496 dollars), and became stable after day 3 (mechanical ventilation, 3,968 dollars; no ...
The combined effects of increased demand for durables and shortages caused by supply-chain disruptions were the main source of inflation in the second quarter of 2021. Both the direct and indirect effects of those supply-chain problems remained substantial through the end of 2022.
Among privately insured and Medicare Advantage patients hospitalized for COVID-19, mean (SD) out-of-pocket spending across all medical and pharmacy claims during the 180 days after discharge was $746 (1,210) and $724 (1,292). Median (25th-75th percentile) out-of-pocket spending was $287 ($59-$842) and $271 ($63-$783).
COVID-19 care prompted higher operating expenses for necessary supplies and rapidly escalating labor costs [5,6]. Overall, hospitals in the United States experienced a total loss of over $200 billion because of an estimated 45% decrease in operating revenue [18] between 1 March and 30 June, 2020.
A significant level of health service delivery was impacted, especially, during the early times owing to the steady spread of the virus across all settings. It posed challenge on health human resource management, facility utilization and medical supply management.
The total direct medical cost of inpatient COVID-19 interventions in the United States in 2020 was estimated at $25.83 billion with an estimated net benefit of 735 569 QALYs after adjusting for opportunity costs. Funding inpatient COVID-19 treatment reduced the population-level burden of health inequality by 0.234%.
The AHA estimates a total four-month financial impact of $202.6 billion in losses for America's hospitals and health systems, or an average of $50.7 billion per month. This estimate was derived by combining the estimates of various components of reduced revenue and increased costs described below.
The COVID-19 pandemic and the associated community mitigation efforts enacted have altered the delivery of and access to healthcare across the U.S. For example, emergency department (ED) visits are down by an estimated 40% in many communities across the country; many in-person office visits have been either postponed ...
Telemedicine evolved in the last decade with modern health technology like fitness wristbands and heart rate monitors, which were very big in the 2010s. Similar to earlier telemedicine equipment, these devices are smaller in size and have a greater scope of features.
Some of the most expensive medical treatments in the world are mostly present here, which is why many people even consider going to Mexico for cheaper medical treatments. It's also not surprising that likely the most expensive hospital bill ever also took place in the U.S. in Florida, worth $9.2 million.
The two greatest contributors to these costs are labor and laboratory charges, together accounting for a majority of total ICU charges. More importantly, Table 3 points out the contribution of labor and ancillary services to the resource cost of ICU care and the variation found among different patient types.
According to a 2021 study from the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), the average cost of a hospital stay per day in the U.S. was $2,883. Costs are rising every year, and you can anticipate extra charges depending on your specific location, how many medical professionals you see during the visit.
Hospitals have spent more than $3B on personal protective equipment since COVID-19 began. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic fueled a mad dash for personal protective equipment (PPE) as hospitals and health systems sought to cut down new infections across their workforces and patients.
In response to COVID-19, the federal government authorized an unprecedented $5 trillion in pandemic response spending. The majority of the prime recipients of this funding were located in the United States, however, approximately 2,000 prime recipients in 177 foreign countries received a total of $6.4 billion.
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