title: Insurance status and length of stay for involuntarily hospitalized patients.
abstract: General and private psychiatric hospitals are becoming increasingly common as sites for involuntary hospitalization. Unlike the public facilities that these settings are supplanting, these hospitals must pay strict attention to issues associated with reimbursement, insurance status, and managed care. This article examines the effects of insurance status on length of stay for involuntarily hospitalized patients in general and private hospitals in Massachusetts. Using a two-stage sampling procedure, data on episodes of involuntary hospitalization were gathered and assessed using multiple regression. The primary effect was found between patients with Medicare, who had the longest stays, and individuals who were uninsured, who had the shortest. The data raise concerns that warrant closer scrutiny on the part of administrators and clinicians.
authors.affiliation: Center for Mental Health Services Research, Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester 01655, USA. Bill.fisher@Umassmed.edu
authors.forename: W H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Fisher
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Barreira
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Lincoln
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Simon
authors.forename: A W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: White
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Roy-Bujnowski
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sudders
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003134:Commitment of Persons with Psychiatric Disorders; D005260:Female; D016304:Hospitals, Private / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006778:Hospitals, Psychiatric / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006779:Hospitals, Public / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D019458:Insurance Coverage; D007348:Insurance, Health; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008404:Massachusetts; D006278:Medicare / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged