Community Health Care Cost Study Analysis major findings

• Health-care cost data from six large Lafayette-West Lafayette employers for 2003 (the most recent data available when the study was undertaken) included full-time employees, early retirees and COBRA recipients.

• The study showed combined Lafayette area inpatient hospital costs and physician costs are 19 percent higher than statewide for non-HMO plans and 1 percent more than HMO plans.

• The Lafayette area's total physician costs were significantly higher than both Indianapolis and statewide.

• Non-HMO physician costs were 62 percent higher than Indianapolis and 55 percent higher than statewide.

• HMO physician costs were 28 percent higher than Indianapolis and 26 percent higher than statewide.

• Non-HMO inpatient hospital care cost was 5 percent lower than both Indianapolis and statewide.

• HMO inpatient hospital care cost was 47 percent less than Indianapolis and 24 percent lower than statewide.

• Non-HMO hospital utilization was 12 percent lower than both Indianapolis and statewide.

• HMO inpatient hospital utilization was 1 percent lower than Indianapolis and 16 percent higher than statewide.

• Lafayette consumer utilization of health care was higher for both HMO and non-HMO physicians than Indianapolis and statewide by between 12 percent and 19 percent.

• Lafayette-area health-care consumers utilized respiratory; eye-ear-nose and throat care; inpatient hospital visits; preventative medicine; psychiatry; invasive cardiology treatment; and pulmonary, allergy, and chemotherapy at a higher rate than Bloomington, Indianapolis and statewide. This utilization was a major driver of Lafayette-area health-care costs.

• Non-HMO surgical fees were 52 percent higher than statewide.

• HMO surgical fees were 23 percent higher than statewide.

• Ft. Wayne's inpatient hospital and physician costs were 19 percent higher than Lafayette's non-HMO costs and 28 percent higher than HMO costs.

• Fort Wayne health-care utilization was more than double the statewide average.

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