Chapter 2

1.5.3 Structure of hospital “costs” by age
We start our analysis of hospital “costs” 2 by age for acute cases in ordinary hospitalization
and in day hospital.
For acute cases hospitalised in the ordinary regime, the percentage of “costs” at various
ages follows a qualitatively homogeneous trend in the various Regions: following the
peak at birth (with pathologies), they rise little to the 15-24 age class and then increase
exponentially for subsequent age classes.
Quantitative analysis shows significant differences between Regions. At age zero, as in
the intermediate age classes, the weight of hospital “costs” in greater in the Southern
Regions and specifically in Campania (3,5%) in Puglia (3,3%) and in Sicilia (3,1%). The
fact can be explained, but only partially, by Regional demographic structure and the
higher birth rate in the South (Figure 1): it should be remembered that the costs of childbirth
for babies born healthy are excluded.
As age increases the relationship is obviously inverted and variation between Regions
also increases. The 75+ age group is that in which the proportion of “costs” varies most
from Region to Region. The highest values are recorded for Friuli Venezia Giulia (34,6%),
Toscana (34,3%) and Marche (34,1%), while Campania has the lowest (20,1%) (Figure 2)
Figure 1 - Share of hospital “costs”
Ordinary hospitalization in acute cases - age zero – Year 2003
Hospitalization “costs”
(acute cases RO, age=0)
4,0%
3,5%
3,0%
2,5%
2,0%
1,5%
1,0%
0,5%
0,0%
Abruzzo
Calabria
Lazio
Sardegna
Val d’Aosta
Veneto
Piemonte
Lombardia
Bolzano
Trento
2 As pointed out in the preceding paragraph “costs” should properly be understood as the amount of financing theoretically provided
under the current Regional DRG tariffs. They therefore do not constitute expenditure in the strict sense but are an
indicator of resource absorption by age class, in the text, the term “costs” appears in brackets.
F.V.G.
Regions
Liguria
Emilia
[85]
Toscana
Umbria
Marche
Molise
Campania
Puglia
Basilicata
CEIS Health Report 2006
Sicilia