Burn Patient Insurance Status Influences Hospital Discharge Disposition and Utilization of Postdischarge Outpatient Care.

This article examines the impact of insurance status on discharge disposition and postdischarge care among adult burn patients treated at an American Burn Association-verified burn center from 2015 to 2019. It compares uninsured, publicly insured, and privately insured patients, finding no significant differences in burn severity or hospital complications across groups. However, uninsured patients were significantly more likely to be discharged to self-care without ancillary services and less likely to receive home health, skilled nursing facility (SNF), or hospital transfer services, despite higher outpatient burn clinic attendance. Publicly insured patients were more often discharged to SNFs, while privately insured patients more frequently received home health or inpatient transfers. The study highlights that insurance status independently influences discharge location and access to postdischarge resources, which may affect long-term recovery and healthcare equity for burn survivors.