Economic Impact of CAUTI

CAUTI Education

Did You Know?

Infection Control Foley Catheter Systems

Bard offers the Bardex® I.C. Complete Care® Infection
Control Foley* Catheter System, with Bacti-Guard®*
silver alloy and Bard hydrogel coatings, helping to protect
patients from UTIs from the tip of the catheter to the
outlet device.

Economic Impact of CAUTI

In 1992 the CDC estimated that healthcare acquired UTI's result in an excess cost of over 500 million dollars per year to US hospitals.

• CAUTIs - COSTS TO DIAGNOSE AND TREAT

• CAUTIs - INCREASE PATIENT LENGTH OF STAY

• CAUTIs - LOSS OF CMS REIMBURSEMENT

Murphy D. et al. “Dispelling the Myths: The True Cost of Healthcare Associated Infections,” APIC Briefing 2007

Diagnosis and Treatment of CAUTI

Due to their frequency, UTIs are estimated to cost U.S. Hospital $500 million per year.[1] UTIs increase hospital costs associated with the diagnosis and treatment of the infection. Some of these costs associated with diagnosis and treatment are:

–Microbiology Laboratory

• Urine Cultures

• Blood Cultures

–Laboratory

• CBC

• WBC

• UA

–Diagnostic Tests

• Chest X-Ray

• CT Scan of Kidney

–Medications

• P.O. Antibiotics

• I.V. Antibiotics

–I.V. Supplies

• I.V. Pump

• I.V. Extension Tubing and catheters

• I.V. Fluids

According to the Pennsylvania Healthcare Cost Containment Council the average total hospital charge for patients with UTIs was $117,253, compared to $33,260 for patients without infections. [2]

Salgado CD, Karchmer TB, Farr BM. Prevention of catheter-associated urinary tract infections. In:Wenzel RP, ed.Prevention and Control of Nosocomial Infections. 4th ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. 2003; 297-311.
Pennsylvania Healthcare Cost Containment Council (PHC4) April 2008, Report: Hospital Acquired Infections in Pennsylvania 200

Increase Patient Length of Stay due to CAUTI

Because many hospitals struggle with issues related to capacity, reducing a patient’s average length of stay frees up resources and creates additional hospital capacity. This increased capacity can be used to admit additional patients that create an opportunity to drive revenue. As shown in the example below, the longer a patient stays in the hospital, the less profitable they become.

Loss of Medicare Reimbursement

• In 2008 the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced some major changes to the inpatient Prospective Payment System (PPS) which could affect your Hospital’s Reimbursement. One of the changes is that Medicare will no longer reimburse hospitals for the additional cost associated with Catheter-Associated UTI.

• As an example, under the old Medicare rules (before Oct 2008)

At a University Hospital, the care of a patient with Acute Myocardial Infarction (heart attack) discharged alive WITHOUT a Complication or Comorbidity or a Major Complication or Comorbidity (w/o CC or MCC) would result in Medicare reimbursement of $5,195.00

The care of an identical patient WITH the Complication or Comorbidity (w/CC) of UTI would result in reimbursement of $6,423.00 (an increase in reimbusement of $1,228.00)

That of an identical patient WITH the Major Complication or Comorbidity (w/MCC) of Escherichia coli sepsis and infection due to indwelling catheter would result in a reimbursement of $8,509.00 (an increase of $3,314.00)

• Under the new Medicare rules if a patient develops a Healthcare Acquired CAUTI they will no longer be reclassified into the higher paying DRG. This means the hospital will no longer receive the additional reimbursement amount associated with these patients and will have to absorb the additional cost of treating the infection and the increased length of stay.

This site is intended for healthcare professionals. If you are a patient seeking more information regarding Catheter Associated Urinary Tract Infection (CAUTI) prevention, please consult your healthcare provider.