Costs for Hospital Stays in the United States, 2012

Excerpt

In 2012, health care expenditures in the United States accounted for more than 17 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Importantly, although only 7 percent of the civilian noninstitutionalized population in the United States had an inpatient hospital stay in 2011, the spending associated with those stays accounted for 29 percent of all health care expenses, making hospitalization one of the most expensive types of health care treatments.

This Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) Statistical Brief presents data on the costs of hospital stays in the United States in 2012. First, the distribution of hospital inpatient costs in 2012 by expected primary payer and type of hospital stay is provided. Second, growth in mean hospital costs between 2003 and 2012 is presented by type of hospital stay, patient age group, and expected primary payer. Finally, components of growth in aggregate annual hospital costs between 2003 and 2012 are provided. All differences between mean hospital costs noted in the text are statistically significant at the .001 level or better. Differences between proportions noted in the text differ by at least 10 percent.