Long-term care hospitals under Medicare: facility-level characteristics
Liu, K.; Baseggio, C.; Wissoker, D.; Maxwell, S.; Haley, J.; Long, S.
Health Care Financing Review 23(2): 1-18
2001
ISSN/ISBN: 0195-8631 PMID: 12500335 Document Number: 531788
Though accounting for only a small percentage of total Medicare spending, long-term care hospitals (LTCHs) (defined as having an average length of stay [LOS] of 25 days or more) have been growing, in number and in Medicare expenditures, at a rapid rate in recent years. Because they have not been widely studied, we conducted research to describe the characteristics of this increasingly important Medicare provider type. We found that most LTCHs specialize in the provision of respiratory care or rehabilitation. Information from this study can help inform the development of a Medicare prospective payment system for LTCHs.