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It costs more to care for a chronically ill older person in the U.S. than in any of 11 Western countries, according to an analysis authored by researchers from each of the 11 and published Aug. 5 in Health Services Research.
Lead author Jose Figueroa, MD, MPH, of Harvard and colleagues looked at claims or registry data on individuals who received inpatient or outpatient care in Australia, Canada, England, France, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland, along with the U.S.
Concentrating on complex cases involving seniors aged 65 to 90 with exacerbated heart failure on top of diabetes, the team found the U.S. spent the most in almost every one of five cost categories: hospital care, primary care, outpatient specialty care, post-acute rehabilitative care and outpatient drugs.
They cite this country’s greater use of onsite rehabilitation as a likely prime contributor to its overall expensiveness in healthcare.
Among their key findings:
- On average, England spent $10,956 per person in hospital care while the U.S. spent $30,877.
- The U.S. had a shorter length of stay over the [studied] year (18.9 days) compared to France (32.9) and Germany (33.4).
- U.S. patients spent more days in facility-based rehabilitative care than patients in other countries.
- Australia spent $421 per person in primary care, while Spain spent $1,557.
- The U.S. and Canada had proportionately more visits to specialist providers than primary care providers.
“Across almost all sectors, the United States spent more than other countries, suggesting higher prices per unit,” the authors comment.
Their summary conclusion:
Across 11 countries, there is substantial variation in healthcare spending and utilization for a complex multimorbid persona with heart failure and diabetes. Drivers of spending vary across countries, with the United States being the most expensive country due to high prices and higher use of facility-based rehabilitative care.”
The study’s senior author is Ashish Jha, MD, MPH, of Brown University. Its co-lead author is Irene Papanicolas, PhD, of the London School of Economics in the U.K.
Study posted here (behind paywall).
Dave P. has worked in journalism, marketing and public relations for more than 30 years, frequently concentrating on hospitals, healthcare technology and Catholic communications. He has also specialized in fundraising communications, ghostwriting for CEOs of local, national and global charities, nonprofits and foundations.