Hospitalization cost and its relative factors among cataract patients with health care insurance

ObjectiveTo identify major factors influencing hospitalization expense and constitution in cataract patients with health insurance in Tianjin and to provide reference for the control of irrational increase in medical expense.MethodsA total of 5030 cataract patients with medical insurance in a hospital of Tianjin from 2003 to 2007 were recruited and their hospitalization expense were analyzed with retrospective study.ResultsThe median of hospitalization cost was 6 166.29 RMB yuan per patient in Tianjin from 2003 to 2007.The median of hospitalization cost per patient was 4 966.46 RMB yuan for the hospital of grade one,6 038.54 RM Byuan for the hospital of grade two,and 6 362.79 RMB yuan for the hospital of grade three.The constitution of hospitalization cost for cataract patients with medical insurance were material cost (44.03%),operation cost(37.58%),in spection fees(7.89%),drug s charge(4.82%),treatment charge(2.67%),bed charge(2.20%),and other charges(0.81%).There sults of multi factor analysis showed that the hospitalization cost was positively correlated with the ratio of material, operation,and inspection cost, number of days of hospitalization,and the grade of the hospital the patient stayed.ConclusionLowering the proportion of fees for material, surgery,and drug and reducing the duration of hospitalization are the key to the control of hospitalization expenses for cataract patient.