Abstract
We summarize Medicare utilization and payment for inpatient treatment of non-dementia psychiatric illnesses (NDPI) among the elderly during 1992 and 2002. From 1992 to 2002, overall mean Medicare expenditures per elderly NDPI inpatient stay declined by $2,254 (in 2002 dollars) and covered days by 2.8. However, these changes are complicated by expanded use of skilled nursing facilities and hospital psychiatric units, and decreased use of long-stay hospitals and general hospital beds. This suggests that inpatient treatment for NDPI is shifting into less expensive settings which may reflect cost-cutting strategies, preferences for less restrictive settings, and outpatient treatment advances.
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This study was supported by the National Institute of Mental Health (R01 MH60831 and R01 MH076206) and by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) through a cooperative agreement for the Center for Research and Education on Mental Health Therapeutics at Rutgers (U18HS016097), as part of AHRQ’s Centers for Education and Research on Therapeutics Program. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily reflect the official views of NIMH or AHRQ.
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Hoover, D.R., Akincigil, A., Prince, J.D. et al. Medicare Inpatient Treatment for Elderly Non-dementia Psychiatric Illnesses 1992–2002; Length of Stay and Expenditures by Facility Type. Adm Policy Ment Health 35, 231–240 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-008-0166-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-008-0166-y