Does Using Complementary Health Insurance Affect Hospital Length of Stay? Evidence from Acute Coronary Syndrome Patients

Abstract

ABSTRACT Background: Length of stay (LOS) is used as an indicator to show the efficacy of hospitals. An increase in hospitalized days is not cost effective and decreases the efficacy of hospitals. Using insurance has some side effects. One of these side effects is increasing the LOS. In this study we attempt to discover the effects of complementary health insurance (CHI) on LOS in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 260 patients were surveyed. By using Poisson regression, the effects of using complementary health insurance on LOS were examined. The effects of confounders were also controlled in the model. Results: The results of this study demonstrated that the relationship between use of CHI and LOS is direct. In addition, an increase in age and income also increases the LOS. The average LOS was 4.13 days, while it was 5.31 for CHI users, and 3.81 for CHI nonusers. Conclusion: Government budget is restricted and ACS treatments are costly. Decreasing LOS in ACS patients can help to spend the budget more effectively.