AHRQ: Hospitalizations Up Among Medicaid Beneficiaries

Hospital admissions for Medicaid beneficiaries increased by 30% between 1997 and 2008, outpacing a 5% increase in privately insured patient admissions, according to a statistical brief from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. AHRQ also found that Medicaid was the primary payer for almost one in five hospital stays in 2008.

• "Medicaid Patient Hospital Stays Rise 30 Percent, Outpacing Privately Insured" (Yin, FierceHealthcare, 1/20).