Table 2 Association between Income level, Cost concerns, and Future Utilization
From: “Implications of cost-sharing for observation care among Medicare beneficiaries: a pilot survey”
Self-Reported Household Income | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Total | <$31,000 | >$31,000 | ||
n(%) | n(%) | n(%) | p-value | |
Cost Concerns | ||||
“Regarding this hospital stay, how worried are you that you will be able to pay your medical bills?” (n = 119; 25 refused) | 0.015 | |||
Worried | 41 (34.4) | 29 (70.7) | 12 (29.3) | |
Future Health Care Decision Making | ||||
“If you came to the hospital in the future, would you ask if you were admitted as an observation patient?” (n = 93, 51 refused) | 0.476 | |||
Yes | 76 (81.7) | 43 (56.6) | 33 (43.4) | |
“What would you do if you were admitted as an observation patient in the future?” (n = 102, 12 refused) | 0.300 | |||
Stay for the care | 68 (72.3) | 33 (48.5) | 35 (51.5) | |
Ask provider to arrange services as outpatient | 32 (34) | 18 (56.3) | 14 (43.8) | |
Leave Against Medical Advice | 2 (2.1) | 2 (100) | 0 | |