Effects of Financial Status, Health Insurance Status, And Administrative Discharge Policy in Timely Discharge of Patients in a Private Hospital in Laguna

Abstract : The timely discharge of patients is a crucial component of hospital efficiency and quality healthcare delivery (Gupte, 2022). Hospitals aim to ensure that patients are discharged at the appropriate time once they are medically stable, as this helps optimize bed availability, reduce healthcare costs, and improve patient flow. Timely discharge reflects effective coordination among clinical teams, administrative systems, and financial processes, indicating overall hospital performance. The goal of this study was to examine the effects of patients’ financial status, health insurance status, and administrative discharge policy on the timely discharge of patients in a private hospital in Laguna. Specifically, it explored the level of financial status in terms of income, capacity to pay, and cash on hand; health insurance status in terms of type of insurance, coverage limits, and utilization; and administrative discharge policy in terms of workflow, clearance signatures, and billing speed. It also determined the level of timely discharge and examined the significant relationships among these variables.The findings revealed that there was a significant relationship between the financial status of patients and timely discharge in terms of income (r = 0.459, p = 0.001), indicating a moderate correlation. Likewise, health insurance status showed significant relationships with timely discharge in terms of type of insurance (r = 0.456, p = 0.001), coverage limits (r = 0.423, p = 0.002), and utilization (r = 0.502, p = 0.000). Furthermore, the administrative discharge policy demonstrated a strong significant relationship with timely discharge in terms of workflow (r = 0.802, p = 0.000), clearance signatures (r = 0.866, p = 0.000), and billing speed (r = 0.816, p = 0.001). It was concluded that financial status, health insurance status, and administrative discharge policy are significantly correlated with the timely discharge of patients, with administrative factors showing the strongest influence. These findings imply that efficient hospital processes, along with patients’ financial and insurance capacity, are key contributors to improving discharge efficiency. This study is believed to be a valuable reference in enhancing hospital discharge systems, promoting efficient patient flow, and improving overall healthcare service delivery.