Table 3.
Payments for Bariatric Surgery at Low and High Quality Hospitals
| Payment Category ($) | Low Quality Hospital | High Quality Hospitals | Difference In Payments | p-value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Index Hospitalization OVerall | 8.804 | 8,182 | −622 | 0.001 |
| DRG | 8.534 | 7,959 | −575 | <.0001 |
| Outlier | ||||
| Proportion with Payment (%) | 1.4 | 1.8 | ||
| Average Payment when Present | 13,592 | 10,480 | −3,112 | 0.250 |
| Average Payment Overall | 269 | 223 | −47 | 0.756 |
| Physician services | 2,517 | 2,331 | −186 | 0.004 |
| Readmission | ||||
| Proportion with Payment (%) | 5.9 | 3.2 | ||
| Average Payment when Present | 9,560 | 9,335 | −226 | 0.905 |
| Average Payment Overall | 601 | 309 | −292 | 0.008 |
| Postdischarge ancillary care | ||||
| Proportion with Payment (%) | 56.9 | 49.6 | ||
| Average Payment when Present | 931 | 580 | −351 | <.0001 |
| Average Payment Overall | 511 | 291 | −220 | <.0001 |
| Total episode | 12,433 | 11,112 | −1,321 | <.0001 |
*Difference in standardized & case-mix (risk) adjusted 30-day episode payments. Hospitals quality represents hospital ranked into quintiles by their risk- and relieablity-adjusted rates of serious complications. Low Quality Hospitals representing the quintile of hospitals with the highest complication rates.