A marked improvement in health and healthcare for Medicare patients

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-07/yu-ami072815.php

Public Release: 28-Jul-2015
A marked improvement in health and healthcare for Medicare patients

Yale University

In a 15-year study of older Medicare patients, Yale School of Medicine researchers saw an estimated 20% drop in mortality, about 30% fewer hospitalizations, and 40% reduction in deaths after hospitalization.

While these results are encouraging, they should not lead to complacency, the researchers caution.

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The team found that annual mortality rates from all causes across the Medicare population declined from 5.3% in 1999 to 4.5% in 2013. Among hospitalized fee-for-service beneficiaries, in-hospital mortality declined, as did 30-day and 1-year mortality.

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Krumholz and his team also found that the total number of hospitalizations for major surgery decreased over the course of the study. The average length of time spent in the hospital declined from 5 to 4 days, and the average inpatient costs per Medicare fee-for-service recipient declined from $3,290 to $2,801. The findings were consistent across geographic and demographic groups.

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