Transparency Data
Kentucky Hospital Utilization
An analysis of trends in inpatient visits, outpatient visits, and emergency room utilization at Kentucky hospitals. (2024)
See below for a selection of different data visualizations using KHA InfoSuite Hospitalization.
Click on each chart to view the full-size version.
Inpatient Cases
Figures 1 and 2 demonstrate the current trend of a declining number of discharges (hospital stays) but increasing length of stay, which is indicative of an increase in patient acuity and the severity of illness. In addition, as shown in subsequent figures, the length of stay varies by ADD and patient age. The longest average length of stay (ALOS) is observed for adolescents from age 6 – 17 and patients aged 55 and older.
Figures 5 and 6 depict the type of insurance (payer) and the residence. Nearly 72 percent of discharges are beneficiaries of government programs, the state Medicaid program (28.9 percent), and the federal Medicare program (43.0 percent). Less than a quarter of all patients have employer-sponsored (commercial) insurance coverage. The vast majority of patients, more than 9 of 10, are Kentucky residents.
The last three figures show the most frequent medical and surgical services and the patient discharge status. The most common medical services in the calendar year 2023 address respiratory and circulatory conditions and childbirth and newborns. Similarly, the most common surgical services were for childbirth and the circulatory and musculoskeletal systems. The majority of patients, approximately 68 percent, have routine discharge to home and self-care, while another 9 percent are referred to home health services and 8 percent to skilled nursing.
FIGURE 1: Annual Discharges from 2017 – 2023
FIGURE 2: Average Length of Stay from 2017 – 2023
FIGURE 3: Average Length of Stay by Area Development District from 2019 – 2023
FIGURE 4: Average Length of Stay by Age, 2023
FIGURE 5: Inpatient Discharges by Payer, 2023
FIGURE 6: Patient Location, 2023
FIGURE 7: Major Diagnostic Categories (MDC), Medical, 2023
FIGURE 8: Major Diagnostic Categories (MDC), Surgical, 2023
FIGURE 9: Diagnosis-Related Groups (DRG), 2023
FIGURE 10: Patient Discharge Status, 2023
Outpatient Cases
Figure 11, unlike the decline in inpatient discharges, and with the exception of 2020, the first full year of the COVID-19 pandemic, shows an increasing trend in outpatient visits. A larger share of these visits are for patients with employer-sponsored (commercial) health insurance. However, 61.6 percent of patients are beneficiaries of state and federal government programs. Nearly all outpatient visits result in routine discharges to home and self-care.
FIGURE 11: Annual Outpatient Visits from 2017 – 2023
FIGURE 12: Outpatient Visits by Payer, 2023
FIGURE 13: Outpatient Discharge Status, 2023
Kentucky Births
FIGURE 14: Births Inside the Hospital, 2017 - 2023
FIGURE 15: Births Inside the Hospital by Hospital Name, 2023
Birthing-Friendly Hospitals and Health Systems
Includes an interactive map showing birthing-friendly hospitals & health systems.
(Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services)
Emergency Room
Emergency room (ER) visits declined for several years and dropped off during 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions. They have increased since but remain below pre-COVID levels. In calendar year 2023, there were approximately 90,000 fewer ER visits than in 2019.
FIGURE 16: Total Emergency Room Visits from 2017 – 2023
Kentucky Medicaid by the Numbers
FIGURE 17: Number of Inpatient Discharges, Kentucky Medicaid, CY 2017 - 2023
Note: Out-of-state Medicaid beneficiaries are excluded and typically represent between 8,000 and 10,000 inpatient discharges per year.
FIGURE 18: Number of Inpatient Discharges, Medicaid FFS and MCO, CY 2017 - 2023
Note: Out-of-state Medicaid beneficiaries are excluded and typically represent between 8,000 and 10,000 discharges per year.
FIGURE 19: Inpatient Discharges, Medicaid, by Age Group. CY 2021 - 2023
FIGURE 20: Inpatient Discharges, Medicaid, by Gender. CY 2017 - 2023
FIGURE 21: Inpatient Discharges, Medicaid, by Gender and Age Group. CY 2023
FIGURE 22: Inpatient Discharges, Medicaid, by Gender and Race. CY 2023
FIGURE 23:Top-20 Principal Diagnoses for Inpatient Discharges. Medicaid, CY 2023
Note: Single live births are the most frequent reasons for an inpatient discharge and typically account for 23,000 - 26,000 inpatient discharges per year.
FIGURE 24: Emergency Room Visits, Medicaid. CY 2017 - 2023
