Variation in Inpatient Cost and Net Corporate Value by DRG. Executive Summary, Final Report and Appendix A-H

摘要

For the employed population, the time lost from work during illness represents a real, but indirect, economic cost to the firm that must be absorbed in addition to any related direct health care expenditures paid. The research shows that less than one third of these work days lost around a hospitalization are explained by the actual days in the hospital. Furthermore, the value of this lost time is only marginally related to the dollars spent directly on health care although this indirect loss increases total cost by another 56%. The main conclusion is that a combination of other factors altogether are more important in returning employees to work than the actual care delivered. Therefore, changing the way personal and worksite characteristics relate to lost work around a hospitalization should have a large dollar impact on indirect cost substantially complementing efforts to reduce the other two thirds of total health care costs incurred for direct services.