An article written by Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) staff that uses HCUP data to investigate geographic variations in healthcare was recently published in the journal Medical Care Research and Review.

"Geographic Variation: A View From the Hospital Sector" uses 2008 data from 42 HCUP State Inpatient Databases (SID) to examine variations in the use of hospital inpatient services and its costs across age groups in several major metropolitan areas throughout the United States.

The authors compare Medicare eligible persons to younger age groups covered by private insurance, public insurance, or no insurance. The analysis found that hospital utilization rates and costs varied across age groups in these areas in 2008, though generally, geographic variation in costs increased with age. This suggests certain geographic areas that are identified as having higher costs and utilization based on Medicare data may not see the same results for younger populations.

Most studies examining geographic variation in healthcare depend on Medicare data. Because HCUP’s databases include all payers, the scope of this article can provide broader insight into how the use of medical resources by the Medicare population differs from those covered by other types of insurance.

Hospital care comprised 37% of total healthcare spending in 2008. As the United States moves forward on healthcare reform, strong and reliable information regarding healthcare experiences and insurance coverage is imperative. Having payer-specific, regional measures of access to care can help provide greater insight into the components of healthcare spending and future quality of care studies.

An abstract for the article is available on PubMed.