Average Cost of Hospital Stay, all patients and uninsured

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Average Cost of Hospital Stay, all patients and uninsured

Average Cost of Hospital Stay can be found for all patients (all ages) and the uninsured in Statistical Brief #246. The report shows an estimated true average cost for a hospital stay in 2016 to be $11,700 (about $13,200 in 2021 dollars). Although not disclosed in the Brief, full charges are likely about 4 times higher than the reported cost. (In other words, consumers might need about a 75% discount off billed charges to experience the costs reported in this Brief.) Average private pay stay was $10,900 in cost ($12,300 after adding medical inflation to 2021), with an average length of stay of 3.9 days. A stay for someone uninsured cost $9,300 ($10,500 in 2021 dollars), and was a little longer time in hospital, 4.1 days. The estimated cost of a Medicare stay was $13,600 in 2016 (about $15,400 in 2021 dollars adding medical inflation). A separate report (statistical brief #182, published in 2014), looked at reasons for hospital stays. Excluding childbirth, the most common reasons for admission for uninsured patients were mood disorders (#1) and skin infections (#2, a potentially avoidable admission). For privately insured patients, the top two reasons were osteoarthritis and mood disorders. Published by AHRQ with HCUP data, December 2018.