Jesse D. Malkin

Infant Mortality and Early Postpartum Discharge

Objective To assess additional risk of newborn death owing to early discharge. Methods This was a historical cohort study using Washington State linked birth certificates, death certificates, and hospital discharge records that covered 47,879 live births in 1989 and 1990. Logistic regression was used to assess risk of death within the first year of life after early discharge (less than 30 hours after birth) compared with later discharge (30–78 hours after birth). Results Newborns discharged early were more likely to die within 28 days of birth (odds ratio [OR] 3.65; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.56, 8.54), between 29 days and 1 year (OR 1.61; 95% CI 1.10, 2.36), and any time within the first year (OR 1.84; 95% CI, 1.31, 2.60) of life than newborns sent home later. Newborns discharged early also were more likely to die of heart-related problems (OR 3.72; CI 1.25, 11.04) and infections (OR 4.72; CI 1.13, 19.67) within 1 year of birth than newborns discharged later. Conclusion Newborns discharged within 30 hours of birth are at increased risk of death within the first year of life.

The Costs of A Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit

Abstract Medicare does not have an outpatient prescription drug benefit. Recently, there has been renewed interest in adding a prescription drug benefit to the program. In this paper, we present a microsimulation model to predict drug expenditures in 2001 for a representative cohort of Medicare beneficiaries under the status quo and three different plans: (1) a catastrophic plan modeled on the Medicare Catastrophic Coverage Act (PL 100-360), which was passed in 1988 but repealed one year later after higher-income Medicare beneficiaries protested new premiums, (2) a zero-deductible plan that caps out-of-pocket expenses at

Estimation of encounter-level hospitalization costs: accuracy of a multivariate prediction model.

4,000 per year, and (3) a zero-deductible plan that does not cap out-of-pocket expenses. We use data from a representative sample of Medicare Part B beneficiaries from the 1995 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) Cost and Use file. Under the status quo, drug expenses average

Can medical savings accounts for the nonelderly reduce health care costs

1,459 per beneficiary, out-of-pocket costs average

Do longer postpartum stays reduce newborn readmissions? Analysis using instrumental variables.

646, and 8.2% of the population has very high expenses (defined as more than

The value of specialty oncology drugs.

2,000 out-of-pocket for drugs). Under a catastrophic plan, average annual drug expenses are

Coverage and Preventive Screening

1,344, out-of-pocket costs are

Postpartum Length of Stay and Newborn Health: A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis

645, and 6.8% of beneficiaries have very high expenses. Under a zero-deductible plan that does not cap out-of-pocket expenses average annual drug expenses are

The Changing Face Of Pharmacy Benefit Design

1,395, out-of-pocket expenses are

Do longer postpartum stays reduce newborn readmissions

459, and 5.3% of beneficiaries would have very high expenses. Under a zero-deductible plan that caps out-of-pocket expenses at