Influence of primary payer status on the management and outcomes of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction in the United States.

BackgroundThere are limited contemporary data on the influence of primary payer status on the management and outcomes of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).ObjectiveTo assess the influence of insurance status on STEMI outcomes.MethodsAdult (>18 years) STEMI admissions were identified using the National Inpatient Sample database (2000-2017). Expected primary payer was classified into Medicare, Medicaid, private, uninsured and others. Outcomes of interest included in-hospital mortality, use of coronary angiography and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), hospitalization costs, hospital length of stay and discharge disposition.ResultsOf the 4,310,703 STEMI admissions, Medicare, Medicaid, private, uninsured and other insurances were noted in 49.0%, 6.3%, 34.4%, 7.2% and 3.1%, respectively. Compared to the others, the Medicare cohort was older (75 vs. 53-57 years), more often female (46% vs. 20-36%), of white race, and with higher comorbidity (all pConclusionsCompared to other types of primary payers, STEMI admissions with Medicare insurance had lower use of coronary angiography and PCI, and higher in-hospital mortality