why choose us

Course: Trends in and Factors Associated With Out-of-Pocket Spending for COVID-19 Hospitalizations From March 2020 to March 2021

CME Credits: 1.00

Released: 2022-02-14

During 2020, most private and Medicare Advantage insurers waived cost sharing for COVID-19 hospitalizations, thus protecting patients from financial liability. However, most insurers abandoned these cost-sharing waivers by August 2021. In an analysis of COVID-19 hospitalizations from March through September 2020, few privately insured or Medicare Advantage patients had cost sharing for hospital facility services, such as room-and-board charges, likely because waivers were widespread. We assessed whether the incidence of cost sharing for facility services increased in early 2021, when waivers began to expire. Among hospitalizations with patient cost sharing for facility services, we determined the factors associated with the magnitude of out-of-pocket spending for hospitalization care, thus identifying patients at elevated risk for large bills going forward.


Educational Objective
To identify the key insights or developments described in this article


View Full Course