This study examines the incidence of hospitalizations for cirrhosis and alcoholic hepatitis among Medicare beneficiaries. Many of these hospitalizations are alcohol related. Others are related to autoimmune disorders primarily affecting older women. MEDPAR inpatient hospital discharge data for Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries during FY 1998 for ICD-9-CM codes 5711, 5712, 5713, 5715 and 5716 are used to obtain incidence patterns and length of stay by Medicare beneficiary group, age, race, sex, and beneficiary location (urban/rural). Source of admission and discharge destination are also examined. Approximately 68% of beneficiaries hospitalized for liver cirrhosis or alcoholic hepatitis were age 65 or over. But 13% were Disabled beneficiaries under age 50. The average patient was 67 years old. Over 59% of patients were male and 80.1% were white. Over 57% of patients were admitted from the emergency room. Only 10.5% of admissions were elective. Average length of stay for these hospitalizations was 6.6 days. While 56.9% of patients were discharged to home, 26.1% were discharged to postacute care and 11.7% died in the hospital. Nearly 46% of patients were treated in major or minor teaching hospitals. Approximately 25% of patients hospitalized were rural residents of which nearly 2/3 were treated in rural hospitals. The average inpatient charge was $13,346. Blacks had longer and more expensive hospitalizations than the average for all Medicare patients.
Learning Objectives: The participant will be able to describe the extent of inpatient services used to treat patients with liver cirrhosis and alcoholic hepatitis.
Keywords: Medicare, Alcohol Problems
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: N/A.
Disclosure not received
Relationship: Not Received.