Chart 12: Babies Exposed to Substances Stay Longer Average Length of Stay for Babies with and without Exposure to Substance Abuse Chart 13: AIDS Patients with Secondary Diagnosis of Substance Abuse Stay Longer Average Length of Stay for Medicaid AIDS Patients with and without Substance Abuse Patients with AIDS 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 Average Length of Stay (Days) SOURCE: National Hospital Discharge Survey, 1991 -45 Chart 14: Medicaid Patients with Secondary Diagnosis of Substance Abuse Stay Longer Average Length of Stay for Medicaid Patients with and without Substance Abuse Chart 15 This chart details the percentage of individuals in both the Medicaid and general populations who use each respective substance. The prevalence of drinking and drug use are projected from national figures from the National Health Interview Survey data adjusting for a larger female to male ratio in the Medicaid population (females have a lower drinking rate) and for a lower socio-economic status (those in lower socio-economic status have higher drinking prevalence). The figures do not account for overlapping use of drugs. Medicaid-specific smoking prevalence rates by age and sex were obtained from the National Medical Expenditure Survey. The significantly higher percentages for smoking among the Medicaid population are of concern, particularly since these figures are most pronounced for women during their reproductive years. The numbers on alcohol and drug use are self-reported. Since individuals tend to be reluctant to admit to alcohol abuse or illegal drug use, consumption rates for heavy alcohol use or drug use are likely to be significantly understated for the whole population, not just for Medicaid. |