ABSTRACT
Several federal bodies provide ongoing analyses of the Medicare DRG prospective hospital payment system. Many states are using DRG prospective "all payor systems" for hospital reimbursement (based on the federal model). In All Payor Systems, Medicare, Medicaid, Blue Cross and other commercial insurers pay by the DRG mode; New York State has been All Payor since 1/1/88. This study simulated DRG All Payor methods on a large sample (n = 1,662) of pulmonary medicine patients for a two-year period using both federal and New York DRG reimbursement now in effect at our hospital. Medicare patients had (on average) a longer hospital length of stay and total hospital cost compared to patients from Medicaid, Blue Cross, and other commercial payors. Medicare patients also had a greater severity of illness compared to patients from Blue Cross Medicaid or other payors. All payors, however, (Medicaid, Blue Cross, Medicare and commercial insurers) generated significant financial risk under the DRG All Payor scheme. These data suggest that federal, state, and private payors may be underreimbursing for the care of the hospitalized pulmonary medicine patients using the DRG prospective hospital payment scheme. Health care financing policy, as demonstrated in this study, may limit both the access and quality of care for many pulmonary medicine patients in the future.
Subject(s)
Diagnosis-Related Groups , Hospitalization/economics , Lung Diseases/economics , Aged , Blue Cross Blue Shield Insurance Plans , Humans , Lung Diseases/classification , Medicaid , Medicare , Middle Aged , New York City , Prospective Payment System , United StatesABSTRACT
The Medicare diagnosis-related group (DRG) prospective payment system is now entering its 6th year, with no reported major adverse effects on the health status of the American people. Currently 13 states are using DRG prospective "all-payer systems" for hospital reimbursement; other state may adopt DRG all payer systems. In DRG all-payer systems, Medicare, Medicaid, Blue Cross, and other commercial insurers pay by the DRG mode; New York state has been all-payer since January 1, 1988. This study simulated DRG all-payer methods on a large sample (n = 558) of adult nephrology patients for a 2-year period using both federal and New York DRG reimbursements now in effect. Both Medicare and Medicaid patients had (on average) longer hospital lengths of stay and higher total hospital costs compared with patients from Blue Cross and other commercial payers. Medicare and Medicaid patients also had greater severity of illness than patients from Blue Cross or other payers. However, all payers (ie, Medicaid, Blue Cross, Medicare, and commercial insurers) generated significant financial risk under our DRG all-payer scheme. These data suggest that federal, state, and private payers may be underreimbursing for the care of hospitalized nephrology patients using the DRG prospective hospital payment scheme. As DRG payment rates are further reduced compared with the real hospital costs of treating patients, both the access to and the quality of care for many nephrology patients may be jeopardized.
Subject(s)
Diagnosis-Related Groups , Hospitalization/economics , Kidney Diseases/economics , Prospective Payment System , Aged , Costs and Cost Analysis , Fees and Charges , Health Expenditures , Humans , Middle Aged , New YorkABSTRACT
Previous work by our group had suggested that some pulmonary medicine diagnosis-related group (DRGs) did not adequately compensate for patients with multiple complications and comorbidities. Congress has recommended no major changes to pulmonary medicine DRGs along these lines. The purpose of this study was to analyze resource consumption in any of the seven noncomplicating conditions (CC), stratified pulmonary medicine DRGs using the new DRG prospective "all payor system" in effect at our hospital. Analysis of 858 pulmonary medicine patients by payor (Medicare, Medicaid, Blue Cross, and commercial insurance) in these non-CC stratified pulmonary medicine DRGs for a three-year period demonstrated that patients with more CCs per DRG for each payor generated higher total hospital costs, a longer hospital length of stay, a greater percentage of procedures per patient, financial risk under DRG payment, more outliers, and a higher mortality, compared to patients in these same DRGs with fewer CCs. Both hospital length of stay and total cost per patient (adjusted for DRG weight index) increased with CCs. Financial risk per patient under DRGs also increased as CCs accumulated. These findings suggest that new prospective DRG "all payor systems" may be inequitable to certain groups of patients or types of hospitals vis-a-vis the non-CC stratified pulmonary medicine DRGs. Many pulmonary medicine DRGs should be stratified by the numbers and types of CCs to more equitably reimburse hospitals under DRG all-payor systems.
Subject(s)
Academic Medical Centers/economics , Diagnosis-Related Groups/economics , Prospective Payment System , Respiratory Tract Diseases/economics , Blue Cross Blue Shield Insurance Plans , Costs and Cost Analysis , Hospital Bed Capacity, 500 and over , Humans , Insurance, Health , Length of Stay/economics , Medicaid , Medicare , New York City , Respiratory Tract Diseases/classification , United StatesABSTRACT
Three cases of transformation of small cell carcinomas into squamous cell cancer after chemotherapy are reported. A review of the literature shows that about 7% of small cell carcinomas are associated to different histological types of cancer before treatment. Such an association is found in about 25% of the cases after chemotherapy. Recent biochemical and ultrastructural approaches have led to new concepts concerning the histogenesis of lung cancer. The unicyst theory suggested by some authors could explain the therapy-induced maturation of undifferentiated small cell carcinoma.
