Medicaid Psychiatric Patients Have Shorter Stays Than Private Patients

OPEN MINDS The Behavioral Health & Social Service Industry Analyst

Industry News

Medicaid patients average longer stays in short-term general hospitals than privately insured patients. But Medicaid patients hospitalized for psychiatric disorders tend to average shorter stays than privately insured patients according to a study published by the National Center for Health Services Research. Three reasons have been cited to account for these differences: Limited coverage of inpatient care, characteristics of the case mix, and transfers to state mental institutions.

One study found that the average hospital stay . . .