Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between insurance type and length of stay (LOS) in primary total joint arthroplasty. A retrospective review of 848 patients was performed. Patients were divided into 3 groups based on their insurance type: Medicare, Medicaid, or commercial coverage. Medicare patients had a significantly higher rate of LOS > 2 days than the Medicaid and commercial groups (P < .0001). The effect of Medicare coverage on LOS remained significant even after controlling for baseline differences among the study groups. There were no differences in the rates of 90-day emergency room visits and readmissions between the 3 groups (P > .05). Arthroplasty surgeons not experienced with outpatient surgery should not be pressured to default to outpatient admission in Medicare patients.