Disability Status and Length of Stay at a VA Medical Center
Abstract
In this study, patients who benefited financially from extended admissions had a significantly greater proportion of hospital stays exceeding 20 days. The system of monetary rewards for veterans with service connected partial disabilities appears to prolong inpatient stays. Costs indude not only the increased disability payments, but also the additional expenses for the protracted stay and larger census.
It is unlikely that VA compensation rules will be changed. Physicians should be aware that patients with service-connected partial disabilities may have expectations for hospital stays different from their own. Taking appropriate discharge planning steps early in treatment is preferable to suddenly insisting on discharge on the 19th day of hospitalization, a measure not likely to be easily accepted by patients eligible for remunerated hospitalization.
Access content
To read the fulltext, please use one of the options below to sign in or purchase access.- Personal login
- Institutional Login
- Sign in via OpenAthens
- Register for access
-
Please login/register if you wish to pair your device and check access availability.
Not a subscriber?
PsychiatryOnline subscription options offer access to the DSM-5 library, books, journals, CME, and patient resources. This all-in-one virtual library provides psychiatrists and mental health professionals with key resources for diagnosis, treatment, research, and professional development.
Need more help? PsychiatryOnline Customer Service may be reached by emailing [email protected] or by calling 800-368-5777 (in the U.S.) or 703-907-7322 (outside the U.S.).
