Ten Years of Short-Stay Hospital Utilization and Costs Under Medicare: 1967-1976

摘要

This report presents a statistical review of the first 10 years (1967-1976) of short-stay hospital services furnished to aged beneficiaries under the Medicare Hospital Insurance (HI) Program. National and regional estimates of short-stay hospital use, charges, and amounts reimbursed are examined. The major portion of the report examines the characteristics of aged persons enrolled for HI, the characteristics of participating providers of service, and the patterns of use, charges, and reimbursement for aged beneficiaries discharged from short-stay hospitals during the 10-year period. Other sections of the report examine the following: (1) the relationship between Medicaid HI expenditures and national health expenditures during 1967-76; (2) the comparison of short-stay hospital utilization by the aged Medicare beneficiaries with that of the total U.S. population during 1976; (3) the impact of the Medicare program in the aged population.