Costs for Hospital Care Decreasing
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) released a report this week detailing hospital costs across the U.S. during 2006. Data indicates that costs are decreasing, according to an article about the report printed by the Denver Post.
The cost to provide care was marked at 0.9 percent during 2006. The average rate from 1997 to 2006 was almost five percent, alternatively.
Cost increases attributed to inflation were marked at $329.2 billion. In 1997, inflation-adjusted costs were $216.3 billion. The rate of increase was thus marked at more than half.
The slowing rate is attributed, in part, to the increasing use of care in the outpatient setting. This is a result of pressure by insurance companies to better control costs.
Other factors associated with the decrease in costs include increased utilization of generic drug therapies. Insurance companies have also stalled on increasing reimbursement levels.