MHA Press Room

Potentially preventable hospitalization rates fall among elderly

At least for some conditions, the rate of potentially preventable hospitalizations has fallen faster for patients ages 65 and above than for younger adults, according to a new report from the Agency for Healthcare Quality and Research.

According to the report, hospital stay rates fell for angina (without procedure), congestive heart failure and diabetes during 2007.  Other conditions are proving more difficult to manage among the elderly. Rates of potentially preventable hospitalizations for diabetes, chronic respiratory conditions, acute conditions and cardiac conditions remained higher for the elderly than younger people.

Overall, though, hospitalization rates among the elderly remain high. One-third of all hospitalizations in 2007 were elderly adults, the agency reported.

Kaiser Issues Updated Fact Sheets On Women’s Health Insurance Coverage

The Kaiser Family Foundation has released updated fact sheets on health insurance coverage of women, including state-by-state data.

Women’s Health Insurance Coverage provides new statistics on health coverage and describes the major sources of health insurance for non-elderly adult women ages 18-64, including employer-sponsored coverage, Medicaid, individually purchased insurance, and Medicare.

A related fact sheet provides state-by-state figures on the uninsured rate and rates of employer-sponsored insurance, individual insurance and Medicaid coverage among  all women ages 18 to 64 nationally, and among low-income women in that age group.

See more information about women’s health care and coverage in the Women’s Health Policy section of the Foundation’s Web site.  

AHRQ: Health care spending increases for middle-aged Americans

Spending on health care for Americans aged 45-64 nearly doubled between 1996 and 2006, to $370 billion, according to a new report from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Average annual spending for those who received health care increased by $1,606 over the 10-year period, to $5,455.

Spending for hospital inpatient care declined over the period, from 36% of total spending to 26%, while spending for prescription medicines rose, from 15% to 25%. The findings are from the federal Medical Expenditure Panel Survey.

AHRQ: Falls send more than 2 million seniors to ED

Community hospital emergency departments treated more than 2 million seniors for injuries from falls in 2006, resulting in $6.8 billion in emergency and inpatient care, according to a new report from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Fractures were the most common injury (41%), more than half of which resulted in admission to the hospital.

About 41% of patients with fractures and 33% with internal organ injuries were transferred to a long-term care facility. The findings are from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project’s Nationwide Emergency Department Sample.

AHRQ: Inpatient blood transfusions more than double since 1997

The number of hospital stays involving a blood transfusion increased by 140% between 1997 and 2007, to nearly 2.7 million a year, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality reports. Other inpatient procedures that increased significantly over the 10-year period include knee surgeries (86%), hemodialysis (66%), and respiratory intubation and mechanical ventilation (48%). The data are from the agency’s Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project.

AHRQ: More patients leaving the hospital against medical advice

The number of patients leaving the hospital against the advice of medical staff increased 39% between 1997 and 2007, to 368,000, according to a new report from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The top five diagnoses for these patients in 2007 were non-specific chest pain (7%), alcohol-related disorders (6.9%), substance-related disorders (5.7%), mood disorders (3.8%), and diabetes with complications (3.4%). About one in five patients who left against medical advice were uninsured. Men were more likely to leave than women, and patients in the Northeast were more likely to leave than patients in other regions of the country.

U.S. life expectancy reaches new high

U.S. life expectancy reached a record high 77.9 years in 2007,according to preliminary data released Aug. 19 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s up from 77.7 years in 2006 and 76.5 years in 1997.

The U.S. mortality rate fell for the eighth straight year in 2007, to a record low 760.3 deaths per 100,000 people – half what it was 60 years ago. Among the 15 leading causes of death, declines were observed between 2006 and 2007 for flu and pneumonia (8.4%), homicide (6.5%), accidents (5%), heart disease (4.7%), stroke (4.6%), diabetes (3.9%), hypertension (2.7%), and cancer (1.8%). The death rate for HIV/AIDS, the sixth leading cause of death among 25-44 year-olds, declined 10% between 2006 and 2007.

Study: Hospital mortality rates for heart attack on decline

The 30-day mortality rate for Medicare patients hospitalized for heart attack decreased an average 3% between 1995 to 2006, while variability between hospitals also declined, according to a study in the Aug. 19 Journal of the American Medical Association. The risk-standardized mortality rate, which accounts for patient differences across hospitals, decreased from 18.8% in 1995 to 15.8% in 2006.

“Although the cause of the reduction cannot be determined with certainty, this finding may reflect the success of the many individuals and organizations dedicated to improving care during this period,” the authors said. Hospitals began publicly reporting mortality rates for heart attack and heart failure patients in June 2007, but since 1997 have been focused on perfecting the implementation of effective care processes as measured by a series of well known process measures included on the Hospital Compare Web site.

Survey: Use of health savings accounts growing

A new survey suggests that health savings accounts are becoming increasingly popular, with the number of accounts and level of assets rising steadily. A new study from Celent reported that the number of HSAs increased 46.1 percent between January 2008 and January 2009, and their asset base grew by 62.6 percent.

Average account balances grew by only 13 percent, to $1,561, but that number was dragged down the 18 percent of accounts with a zero balance and a failure of banks to purge inactive accounts. But future numbers should look different, with a relatively high number accounts being created in January 2009.

Investments as a percent of total assets, meanwhile, fell off 5 percent, due to a mix of recessionary pressures, unemployment and falling investment values.

Another piece of survey data was that debit cards - while attached to almost all HSAs - are only used for 66 percent of funds disbursed. Checks account for 20 percent of volume.

To learn more about this survey, read this Healthcare Finance News piece.

Study: 47,000 walker/cane injuries treated in EDs annually

More than 47,000 Americans age 65 or older are treated each year in emergency departments for fall injuries involving walkers and canes, according to a new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Most of the injuries involve walkers; fractures are the most common injury; and women are more likely to be injured than men. Based on 2001-2006 data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System All Injury Program, the study can be found online in this month’s Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. The authors recommend additional research to understand the physical and cognitive demands that walking aids place on users.