Fueled by an increase in Medicaid and Medicare patients, admissions to Florida hospitals are growing faster than the states population, the Florida Hospital Association (FHA) reported.
New data shows that statewide hospital admissions are rising by an average of 2.7 percent a year, while Floridas population is growing by 2.3 percent annually, the FHA said. During the 12 months that ended September 30, 2003, the states acute care hospitals admitted 2.17 million patients for a total of 10.7 million patient days a 2.4 percent increase in patient days over 2002. Since 2000, Medicaid patient admissions to Florida hospitals have risen by 27 percent, while Medicare patient admissions have grown by 12 percent and HMO/PPO admissions have climbed seven percent, the new data shows. The only decrease in admissions occurred in the category of traditional commercial patients, which dropped 20 percent. In the same period, hospitals saw a 17 percent increase in self-pay and charity patients. The Fort Walton Beach area in the Panhandle saw the states largest jump in hospital admissions, at 7 percent. Meanwhile, Panama City, Gainesville, Lakeland/Winter Haven, Orlando and the Melbourne/Titusville/Palm Bay area all saw admissions rise by five percent over the previous year. ” The trend is clear more and more citizens are seeking care at Florida hospitals, which are already straining to meet the needs of our growing population,” said Wayne NeSmith, President of the 230-member FHA. Nearly 60 percent of patients come to the emergency department prior to admission to the hospital, the FHA reported. About 44 percent of patients statewide are 65 or older, although admissions for elderly patients have decreased since 2000, and patients under 65 are using more hospital services. Not only are Medicare and Medicaid patient admissions rising, but these patients also typically stay in the hospital longer than other patients. Medicare patients had the highest average length of stay in the hospital, at 5.7 days, while Medicaid patients had average stays of 4.6 days. The shortest average lengths of stays were recorded by HMO/PPO patients, at 3.8 days. Florida currently ranks fourth in the nation in the number of uninsured, with one-in-five citizens lacking coverage.Detailed statistics on admissions to each acute care hospital in Florida are available through the Florida Hospital Association. Copies of the FHA Data Report are available at www.fha.org/newsroom/index.html or you may download the data brief directly at www.fha.org/databrief9-03.pdf.
