For Medicare beneficiaries hospitalized with heart attacks, overall expenditures per patient increased by 16.5 percent or $6,094 between 1998 and 2008, according to a study published by JAMA Internal Medicine.
About three-fourths of the increased spending occurred between 31 and 365 days after hospitalization, according to the study. Researchers found expenditures rose by 28 percent during this time period compared with 10 years ago because of an increase in the use of home health agencies, hospices, skilled nursing facilities, durable medical equipment and inpatient services.
The researchers noted bundled payment initiatives often focus on the first 30 days after admission. Subsequently, the results suggest a need to revise cost containment methods to reach beyond an "arbitrary" time frame through reform models such as accountable care organizations, according to the study authors.
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