Hospital Use in U.S. Plummets to Its Lowest Level in 15 Years
Hospital use by Americans has plummeted to its lowest level in 15 years as clinics and outpatient programs served a growing number of people, according to government statistics released today.
There were 148 hospital stays for every 1,000 Americans last year, the first time since 1971 that the rate has dropped below 150, the National Center for Health Statistics reported.
“The rate has been coming down dramatically,” said Robert Pokras of the agency’s Division of Hospital Care Statistics.
Growing use of outpatient services and introduction of the Diagnosis Related Group method of payment were among the reasons for the decline, said health statistician Edmund Graves.
Under the DRG program, federal payments to hospitals are set at a flat fee based on the patient’s illness rather than on the length of stay or services performed. The program is designed to encourage hospitals to control costs.
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