Cardiac catheterizations: average inpatient charges, 1998

Area of Science:

• Health Economics
• Cardiovascular Interventions

Background:

• Cardiac catheterization (CC) is a common inpatient procedure.
• Understanding cost variations is crucial for healthcare policy and patient financial planning.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the geographic variations in total charges, hospital proportions, physician fees, length of stay, and per diem costs for inpatient cardiac catheterization in 1998.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of claims data for 13,922 group health insured patients over age 30 undergoing inpatient CC.
• Comparison of average total charges, hospital costs, physician fees, length of stay, and per diem costs across 29 states.

Main Results:

• Average total CC charge was $12,450, with significant state-level variation (e.g., California $24,000 vs. Iowa $8,810).
• Hospital charges constituted 80% of total costs, ranging from 71% in Maryland to 86% in California.
• Physician fees averaged $2,450, with Texas highest ($3,830) and Iowa lowest ($2,140).
• Average length of stay was 3.2 days, with notable differences (Iowa 5.6 days vs. Washington 2.9 days).
• Per diem costs averaged $3,850, highest in California ($6,470) and lowest in Iowa ($1,570).

Conclusions:

• Significant geographic disparities exist in the cost of inpatient cardiac catheterization.
• Hospital and physician charges, length of stay, and per diem costs contribute to these variations.
• Further research is needed to understand the drivers of these cost differences.