Hospital Services Utilisation and Cost Before and After COVID-19 Hospital Treatment: Evidence from Indonesia
Authors: Firdaus Hafidz, Gilbert Renardi Kusila, Wan Aisyiah, Dedy Revelino, Erzan Dhanalvin, Ayunda Oktavia, Ilyasa, Citra Jaya, Benjamin Saut, Mahlil Ruby
The study aimed to assess hospital service utilization and costs among Indonesian National Health Insurance (NHI) enrollees before and after hospital treatment for COVID-19. Using a difference-in-difference approach, the researchers compared 28,159 COVID-19 patients treated between May and August 2020 with 8,995 individuals who were not diagnosed with COVID-19 in 2020.
Key findings include a significant increase in hospital services utilization and costs in the short-term surrounding COVID-19 treatment. This increase was observed in outpatient visits and admissions both before and after treatment, with higher costs noted up to four months after treatment. Notably, the impact was more pronounced among individuals over 40 years old.
In conclusion, the study suggests that COVID-19 patients requiring hospital treatment exhibit heightened healthcare resource utilization in the periods immediately before and after treatment. This highlights the importance of considering both pre- and post-acute care periods in assessing the total cost of treating COVID-19 patients under the NHI program in Indonesia.
