Variations in costs for the care of low-birth-weight infants among academic hospitals.

Objectives: To determine the relative role that academic hospitals (AHs) play in providing neonatal care for low-birth-weight infants within a single state and to determine if there are variations in inpatient costs for neonatal services among AHs.

Design: Retrospective analysis of hospital costs for low-birth-weight infants.

Setting: Cases were identified using 2003-2005 data from the Tennessee Hospital Discharge Data System. A specific focus was discharge data from the 5 AHs that support obstetrical residencies and have a neonatal intensive care unit.

Participants: Cases included all discharged infants with a birth weight of <2500 grams.

Results: The 5 AHs discharged 18% of the total normal-birth-weight infants and 30% of the low-birth-weight infants for the entire state. AHs had higher costs associated with these infants than did other hospitals, with a single exception The difference in costs at this hospital was consistent with the finding of lower utilization rates of hospital services, a shorter average length of stay, and lower costs for infants insured by the state Medicaid program.

Conclusion: Academic obstetrical hospitals discharged a disproportionately high percentage of low-birth-weight infants compared with other Tennessee hospitals. The lower costs observed in the Shelby County hospital indicates that other hospitals could potentially lower their costs for the care of low-birth-weight infants.