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Charging the Poor – More?
Staff Reporters
According to a new report from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality [AHRQ], on September 18, 2008, hospital charges increased in 2005 – the latest reporting period.
Charges; Not Actual Costs
Hospital charges – what patients are billed for their rooms, nursing care, diagnostic tests and other services; and not actual costs – jumped from $873 billion in 2005 to $943 billion in 2006.
www.HealthDictionarySeries.com
Data Summary and Survey Results
Between 2005 and 2006, hospital charges increased by:
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$38 billion to $44 billion – 15 percent for people with no insurance.
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$124 billion to $135 billion – 9 percent for Medicaid patients.
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$411 billion to $444 billion – 8 percent for Medicare patients.
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$272 billion to $287 billion – 6 percent for patients with private insurance.
Assessment
The steep increase occurred even though hospitals admissions increased only slightly, from 39.2 million to 39.5 million. And, it is interesting to note that charges for uninsured and Medicaid patients, those presumably least able to pay and/or protest, rose more than charges for those with private insurance or Medicare?
Conclusion
Your thoughts and comments are appreciated. Is this fair, not fair, an example of “reverse-charge” shifting, or something else?
Related Information Sources:
Practice Management: http://www.springerpub.com/prod.aspx?prod_id=23759
Physician Financial Planning: http://www.jbpub.com/catalog/0763745790
Medical Risk Management: http://www.jbpub.com/catalog/9780763733421
Healthcare Organizations: www.HealthcareFinancials.com
Health Administration Terms: www.HealthDictionarySeries.com
Physician Advisors: www.CertifiedMedicalPlanner.com
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Filed under: Health Economics, Health Insurance, Healthcare Finance, Surveys and Voting | Tagged: AHRQ |
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