The authors thank the NSW Health Department for making the NSW hospitals administrative data available for this project, and for its efforts in patient-linking and geo-coding these data. The main project, ‘Health Policy and Socioeconomic Status in Australia’, was funded by an Australian Research Council grant with the NSW Health Department, the Health Insurance Commission and the Productivity Commission as industry partners (Project C00 107794, 2001–2003). The support of these partners is gratefully acknowledged. The views expressed are those of the authors and are not necessarily shared by the industry partners.
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Changes in Hospitalisation Rates and Costs in New South Wales, 1996–97 and 2000–01
Article first published online: 30 NOV 2006
DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-8462.2006.00428.x
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How to Cite
Walker, A., Thurecht, L. and Harding, A. (2006), Changes in Hospitalisation Rates and Costs in New South Wales, 1996–97 and 2000–01. Australian Economic Review, 39: 391–408. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-8462.2006.00428.x
Publication History
- Issue published online: 30 NOV 2006
- Article first published online: 30 NOV 2006
- First version received April 2005; Final version accepted August 2006 (Eds).
- Abstract
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Abstract
Changes in hospital admission rates and costs in New South Wales (NSW) between 1996-97 and 2000–01 were examined by age, hospital type and socioeconomic status. A novel method led to a more accurate assessment of hospital patients' socio-economic status than was previously possible. Use of unit record hospitals data and full population Census data allowed very high levels of disaggregation. Considerable increases in the baby boomer and frail aged populations led to higher hospital admission rates over the period. This was driven by the private sector, which saw its admission rates increase by 20 per cent (with the public sector rate declining by 6per cent). Public hospital admission rates by age were found to be up to 40 per cent greater for the poorest 20 per cent of the population than for the richest 20 per cent-with a reversal of the pattern for private hospitals (up to 45 per cent greater for the richest 20 per cent than for the poorest 20 per cent). In a period when total NSW hospital expenditures increased by 21 per cent, we found that ‘per admission costs’ in the inpatient non-psychiatric sub-sector changed little.