Posted: 02/19/09
Poor or non-existent health insurance - even discount medical plans - as well as facility transfers may play a significant role in the mortality rates of hospitalized children according to a new study published in the Journal of Hospital Medicine.Data compiled between 1992 and 2002 found that 40 percent of deaths among children occur while hospitalized (69 percent of these are newborns). The mortality rate of children without insurance or discount medical plans was 0.58 percent in 2002, 0.45 percent for children with Medicaid and 0.33 percent with private individual medical health insurance.
Young patients transferred to another hospital also faced increased mortality rates. Among newborns a 4.75 percent mortality for transfers versus 0.36 percent for non-transfers was found.
Related Links
Medline Plus: Newborn Hospital Deaths Highest for Those Without Insurance
