Hospital–Medicare Advantage Vertical Integration and Cardiopulmonary Care in Integrated Hospitals

Is hospital–Medicare Advantage plan vertical integration associated with cardiopulmonary outcomes?In this cross-sectional study including 1 057 715 admissions, fully compared with nonintegrated admissions had shorter lengths of stay (−0.24 days) and lower rates of any intensive care unit use (−1.17 percentage points), inpatient mortality (−0.61 percentage points), 30-day postdischarge mortality (−0.87 percentage points), and 30-day postdischarge readmission (−0.78 percentage points). Fully compared with partially integrated admissions had shorter lengths of stay (−0.28 days) and lower rates of any intensive care unit use (−1.42 percentage points).These findings suggest potential benefits from aligning incentives between insurers and hospitals.

Corresponding Author: Geronimo Bejarano, MPH, Department of Health Services, Policy, and Practice, Brown University School of Public Health, 121 S Main St, Floor 6, Providence, RI 02903 (geronimo_bejarano_cardenas@brown.edu).

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