Rural hospital charges due to ambulatory care sensitive conditions in the United States, by insurance type, 2000 to 2004.

In this policy brief, we estimate and document rural hospital charges due to ambulatory care sensitive conditions (ACSCs) in the United States, by insurance type, from 2000 to 2004. ACSCs are specific adverse health conditions that can be managed in an ambulatory setting and should not require hospitalization. Hospital charges due to ACSCs are reported by region and payment source (private insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, uninsured). Community hospitals are important safety-net providers, and ACSC-related hospital expenditures in those hospitals could reflect the consequences of uninsurance and underinsurance (inhibiting access to ambulatory services). Research about the trends of ACSC-related hospitalizations can contribute to the assessment of the access to and quality of primary health care systems across US regions over time. Our study used nationwide hospital inpatient discharge data to examine the trends and regional variations of rural hospital charges due to ACSCs.