The severity classification system for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome hospitalizations. Association with survival after discharge and inpatient resource use.

The Severity Classification for AIDS Hospitalizations (SCAH) was applied to a longitudinal person-based data set of Maryland adult residents diagnosed with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) between 1983 and 1989 to predict long-term survival. In contrast to other AIDS severity measures, SCAH can be applied to administrative data bases for analyses of large populations. Although SCAH was created to predict inpatient mortality using cross-sectional hospital discharge data, the models used in this study show SCAH stage at first AIDS hospitalization to predict long-term survival in persons with AIDS, even after adjusting for sociodemographic and treatment variables. Additional models in the study show SCAH stage at first hospitalization has a strong association with inpatient length of stay and associated charges, making it useful for health care resource planning.

Patterns in Maryland Medicaid enrollment among persons with AIDS.

The percentage of persons with AIDS (PWAs) enrolling in Medicaid is increasing by 3.7% annually. This paper examines the trends in Medicaid enrollment among PWAs and uses a Markov model to analyze the patterns in Medicaid eligibility as enrollees move between assistance categories. We found most Medicaid-eligible PWAs were Medicaid recipients prior to their AIDS diagnosis and differed significantly from non-Medicaid PWAs. The PWAs shifted considerably among the various Medicaid eligibility categories and we found distinct, predictable patterns among different subpopulations. A high percentage of PWAs were enrolled in a state-funded category, which is detrimental to both the PWAs and the state.