Between 1997 and 2009, aggregate inflation-adjusted costs for inpatient community hospital stays grew by 3.9 percent annually, and this was mostly driven by the intensity of services, or cost per stay, as well as prices, according to research from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (pdf).


The Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project's most recent statistical brief highlights inpatient hospital stays from 1997 through 2009 across all populations. Here are 48 statistics on the baseline measures for nonelderly and elderly population inpatient hospital stays.

Nonelderly stays (ages 0 to 64)

Number of stays in 1997: 22,200
Number of stays in 2009: 25,900
Average annual growth 1997-2009: 1.3 percent

Stays per 1,000 population in 1997: 93.6
Stays per 1,000 population in 2009: 96.8
Average annual growth 1997-2009: 0.3 percent

Aggregate inpatient hospital costs in 1997: $123.3 billion
Aggregate inpatient hospital costs in 2009: $207.6 billion
Average annual growth 1997-2009: 4.4 percent

Average length of stay in 1997: 4.1 days
Average length of stay in 2009: 4.1 days
Average annual growth 1997-2009: 0.1 percent

Cost per stay in 1997: $5,600
Cost per stay in 2009: $8,000
Average annual growth 1997-2009: 3.1 percent

Cost per day in 1997: $1,400
Cost per day in 2009: $1,900
Average annual growth 1997-2009: 3 percent

Elderly stays (age 65 and older)

Number of stays in 1997: 12,500
Number of stays in 2009: 13,500
Average annual growth 1997-2009: 0.7 percent

Stays per 1,000 population in 1997: 362.7
Stays per 1,000 population in 2009: 342.2
Average annual growth 1997-2009: -0.5 percent

Aggregate inpatient hospital costs in 1997: $106.1 billion
Aggregate inpatient hospital costs in 2009: $153.9 billion
Average annual growth 1997-2009: 3.1 percent

Average length of stay in 1997: 6.4 days
Average length of stay in 2009: 5.4 days
Average annual growth 1997-2009: -1.3 percent

Cost per stay in 1997: $8,500
Cost per stay in 2009: $11,400
Average annual growth 1997-2009: 2.4 percent

Cost per day in 1997: $1,300
Cost per day in 2009: $2,100
Average annual growth 1997-2009: 3.8 percent

All stays

Number of stays in 1997: 34,700
Number of stays in 2009: 39,400

Stays per 1,000 population in 1997: 127.7
Stays per 1,000 population in 2009: 128.4

Aggregate inpatient hospital costs in 1997: $229.4 billion
Aggregate inpatient hospital costs in 2009: $361.5 billion

Average length of stay in 1997: 4.9 days
Average length of stay in 2009: 4.6 days

Cost per stay in 1997: $6,600
Cost per stay in 2009: $9,200

Cost per day in 1997: $1,400
Cost per day in 2009: $2,000

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