Treatment Charges for Traumatic Brain Injury Among Older Adults at a Trauma Center

OBJECTIVE: To provide charge estimates of treatment for traumatic brain injury (TBI), including both hospital and physician charges, among adults 65 years and older treated at a trauma center. METHODS: We identified older adults treated for TBI during 2008-2012 (n = 1843) at Maryland's Primary Adult Resource Center and obtained hospital and physician charges separately. Analyses were stratified by sex and all charges were inflated to 2012 dollars. Total TBI charges were modeled as a function of covariates using a generalized linear model. RESULTS: Women comprised 48% of the sample. The mean unadjusted total TBI hospitalization charge for adults 65 years and older was $36 075 (standard deviation, $63 073). Physician charges comprised 15% of total charges. Adjusted mean charges were lower in women than in men (adjusted difference, -$894; 95% confidence interval, -$277 to -$1512). Length of hospital and intensive care unit stay were associated with the highest charges. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides the first estimates of hospital and physician charges associated with hospitalization for TBI among older adults at a trauma center that will aid in resource allocation, triage decisions, and healthcare policy.