About a third of U.S. healthcare spending stems from inpatient hospital services, and five specific hospitalization categories represent most of that spending.
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and its Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project issued a projection report late last year on the cost of inpatient hospitalizations. The five categories that account for most spending are maternal/neonatal, mental health, injury, surgical and medical.
Here are 15 statistics on inpatient hospitalization costs, based on the AHRQ and HCUP statistical brief.
Maternal and neonatal hospitalizations
Average cost in 2003: $3,000
Average cost in 2011: $4,000
Projected average cost in 2013: $4,500
Mental health hospitalizations
Average cost in 2003: $4,500
Average cost in 2011: $6,000
Projected average cost in 2013: $6,500
Injury hospitalizations
Average cost in 2003: $10,000
Average cost in 2011: $14,000
Projected average cost in 2013: $15,000
Surgical hospitalizations
Average cost in 2003: $14,500
Average cost in 2011: $20,500
Projected average cost in 2013: $22,500
Medical hospitalizations
Average cost in 2003: $6,500
Average cost in 2011: $9,000
Projected average cost in 2013: $9,500
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