HEALTHCARE COST & UTILIZATION PROJECT

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HCUP Facts and Figures

TABLE OF CONTENTS

HIGHLIGHTS

INTRODUCTION

HCUP PARTNERS

1. OVERVIEW

2. DIAGNOSES

3. PROCEDURES

4. COSTS

5. MHSA

SOURCES/METHODS

DEFINITIONS

FOR MORE INFO

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

CITATION

FACTS & FIGURES 2008 PDF
EXHIBIT 1.1 Characteristics of U.S. Community Hospitals (PDF)

Characteristics of U.S. Community Hospitals, 1997 and 2008
UTILIZATION, CHARGES, AND COSTS 1997 2008
Discharges
Total discharges in millions 34.7 39.9
Number of discharges per 1,000 population* 127.8 131.0‡
Total days of care in millions 168.1 183.6
Average length of stay in days 4.8 4.6
 
Percent of discharges from:
Metropolitan hospitals 84% 87%
Teaching hospitals 47% 47%
Hospital ownership
Non-Federal government hospitals 14% 14%
Private not-for-profit hospitals 73% 73%
Private for-profit hospitals 13% 13%
 
Charges and costs†
Charges
Average charges per stay $11,300 $29,000
Average inflation-adjusted charges per stay in 2008 dollars** $14,500 $29,000
Costs
Total aggregate costs in billions $177.1 $364.7
Average costs per stay $5,100 $9,100
Inflation-adjusted costs in 2008 dollars**
Total aggregate costs in billions $227.2 $364.7
Average costs per stay $6,500 $9,100
* Calculated using resident population for July 2008 from the U.S. Bureau of the Census, retrieved on June 22, 2010 (http://www.census.gov/popest/).
‡ 2008 discharges are not statistically different from 1997 discharges at p‹0.05.
† Charges represent amounts billed by hospitals. These amounts are seldom paid in full by insurers or patients. Costs are calculated from charges using reported cost-to-charge ratios calculated from information on Medicare Cost Reports, submitted by hospitals to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
** Adjusted for inflation using the GDP deflator (http://www.bea.gov/national/nipaweb/SelectTable.asp, Table 1.1.4. Price Indexes for Gross Domestic Product).
Source: AHRQ, Center for Delivery, Organization, and Markets, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project, Nationwide Inpatient Sample, 1997 and 2008.


Hospital costs rose rapidly and hospital characteristics changed slowly over time.

  • The number of hospital discharges increased from 34.7 million in 1997 to 39.9 million in 2008, a 15-percent increase overall, or an average annual increase of 1.3 percent.
  • There were 128 hospital stays for every 1,000 persons in the United States in 1997 and 131 stays per 1,000 persons in 2008.
  • The percent of community hospital discharges has changed little in terms of metropolitan location, teaching status, and type of ownership between 1997 and 2008. Most hospital discharges (87 percent) are from facilities located in metropolitan areas, nearly half are from teaching hospitals, and almost three-quarters are from private not-for-profit facilities.
  • Average inflation-adjusted charges per stay—what patients are billed for their rooms, nursing care, diagnostic tests, procedures, and other services—rose from $14,500 in 1997 to $29,000 in 2008. Few patients or insurers paid those amounts because of discounts negotiated with hospitals.
  • Between 1997 and 2008, the aggregate inflation-adjusted costs for hospitalizations—the actual costs of producing hospital services—increased 61 percent. Costs rose from $227.2 billion to $364.7 billion—an average annual increase of 4.4 percent.



Internet Citation: Facts and Figures 2008. Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP). October 2010. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. www.hcup-us.ahrq.gov/reports/factsandfigures/2008/exhibit1_1.jsp.
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Last modified 10/7/10