Differences Between Public And Private Hospital Payment Rates Narrowed, 2012-16

Abstract

In 2000-12 payments for inpatient hospital stays, emergency department visits, and outpatient hospital care for privately insured patients grew much faster than payments for Medicare and Medicaid patients. This widening of private-public payment gaps slowed or even reversed itself in 2012-16.

Keywords: Costs and spending; Diseases; Emergency departments; Hospital care; Medicaid; Medical Expenditure Panel; Medicare; Private health insurance; health policy; payment.