The Effect of Managed Care on ICU Length of Stay

Abstract

Objective. —To determine whether insurance status (managed care vs traditional commercial and Medicare) influences resource consumption (as measured by length of stay [LOS]) in the intensive care unit (ICU). Design. —Retrospective analysis of the 1992 Massachusetts state hospital discharge database, using prospectively developed and validated risk-stratification models. Setting. —All nonfederal hospitals in Massachusetts. Subjects. —Of all adult hospitalizations where an ICU stay was incurred (n=104270), we selected those covered by 1 of 4 payer groups (n=88 050): (1) commercial fee-for-service (patients aged R²=0.84 andR²_L[likelihood ratio statistic]=0.92 for the development set, andR²=0.83 andR²_L=0.89 for the validation set). Significant covariables affecting LOS included age, severity of principal illness, comorbidity, reason for admission, and discharge status (P<.001 for each). Among the cohort younger than 65 years (n=27 805), although unadjusted mean ICU LOS was shorter (2.9 vs 3.43 days;P<.05) for those covered by managed care organizations, payer status had no independent effect on ICU LOS (P=.48). Among those older than 65 years, there was neither a difference in unadjusted ICU LOS (3.94 vs 3.88 days;P≥.05) nor an independent effect of payer on ICU LOS (P=.35). Unadjusted mortality was lower among managed care patients (3.9% vs 5.1% in patients aged < 65 years [P<.05] and 8.7% vs 12.1% in patients aged ≥65 years [P<.05]). Age, severity of principal diagnosis, comorbidity, and reason for admission significantly influenced mortality (P<.001). After controlling for these factors with the mortality model (R²_L=0.92 and 0.89, C statistic [12df]=8.45 and 17.58, andP=.75 and.13 [where a largePreflects good agreement] for the development and validation sets, respectively), payer continued to have a small but significant effect on mortality (odds ratios ranging from 1.67 at 0.1% probability of death to 1.11 at 30% probability of death). Managed care penetration among the commercially insured varied across hospitals (n=82) from 0% to 68%. There was no correlation between managed care penetration and either ICU LOS (R²=0.04;P=.09) or mortality (R²=0.0;P=.88). Conclusions. —Though patients covered under managed care consume fewer ICU resources, this appears to be primarily attributable to a difference in patientrelated factors. Thus, as managed care case mix changes in the future to include sicker and older patients, the initial advantages of reduced resource consumption may diminish.