Health care rationing ...( In the years to come demographers expec...)

In the years to come demographers expect the elderly population in Germany to grow due to both low birth rates and rising longevity. It has generally been assumed that population aging leads to increasing health expenditures. Data usually exhibit a linear increase in health care expenditures with age. But studies from scientists in the U.S.A question this assumption. For example, Lubitz and colleagues from the American Health Care Financing Administration show that older patients in hospitals induce lower costs than younger patients. In 1988, Medicare costs for deceased patients 65 to 69 years of age averaged $15.436, whereas costs for deceased patients 90 years of age or older averaged only $8.888. "Unfortunately there were hardly any comparable studies in other countries," says Dr. Hilke Brockmann from the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research in Rostock. Thus, it was impossible to say whether these decreasing medical expenditures at higher ages are an American pattern due to the specific feature of a private health insurance regime. "In addition, it was completely unknown whether sex plays also a role in discriminating against older people in hospitals", says Brockmann. That is why she started a research project based on data obtained from Germany's largest health insurer (AOK) in two different regions; Westphalia-Lippe (Western Germany) and Thuringia (Eastern Germany). The data include the costs of hospital stays of AOK members between 1996 and 1997 who were at least 20 years old. The descriptive analyses reveal the total annual expenses for deceased and non-deceased patients and the age-specific distribution of diseases among the deceased patients. The influence of age discrimination was tested with multivariate regression models. The study examines the severity of the illness and multi-morbidity, as well as the length of stay, the kind of treatment and the place of treatment.

Patients that died in 1997 and survivors were analyzed separately. It
'"/>

Contact: Dr. Hilke Brockmann
Brockmann@demogr.mpg.de
49-381-208-1161
Max-Planck-Gesellschaft
11-Nov-2002

Page: 1 2 3
Related biology news :

1. Health of worlds sea lions the focus of Wakefield Symposium
2. OneWorld Health compiles comprehensive state of infectious diarrhea treatments, potential solutions
3. Institute for OneWorld Health nominated for the 2004 World Technology Awards
4. Healthy fats and oils essential to satisfy calorie-conscious consumers
5. Institute for OneWorld Health receives Gates Foundation grant
6. Donaghue Womens Health Investigator Program awards grants to three at Yale
7. OneWorld Health CEO outlines mutually beneficial collaborations between industry, nonprofits at BIO
8. Addressing the Healthcare Needs of Our Aging Population with Technology
9. Institute for OneWorld Health CEO to speak at BIO on leveraging opportunities for global health
10. OneWorld Health completes enrollment, treatment in Phase III India trial
11. Institute for OneWorld Health CEO advocates focus first on developing world markets