Extended Hospital Stays in Medicare Advantage and Traditional Medicare

Has hospital length of stay increased more for Medicare Advantage beneficiaries than for traditional Medicare beneficiaries since the COVID-19 pandemic?In this cohort study involving more than 89 million hospitalizations from 2017 to the third quarter of 2023, Medicare Advantage beneficiaries experienced disproportionately greater increases in extended hospital stays, especially among those discharged to skilled nursing facilities.These findings suggest that the Medicare Advantage plan design and practices may contribute to hospital discharge delays, with implications for patient outcomes and hospital capacity as enrollment continues to rise.

Corresponding Author: Michael L. Barnett, MD, MS, Department of Health Services Policy and Practice, Brown University School of Public Health, 121 S Main St, Providence, RI 02903 (michael_barnett@brown.edu).

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