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October 2009, Vol 99, No. S2 | American Journal of Public Health S398-S404
© 2009 American Public Health Association
DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2008.148494

RESEARCH AND PRACTICE

The Burden of Rotavirus Hospitalizations Among Medicaid and Non-Medicaid Children Younger Than 5 Years Old

Liyuan Ma, PhD, Antoine C. El Khoury, PhD and Robbin F. Itzler, PhD

At the time of this study, all authors were with Merck & Co, Inc, West Point, PA.

Correspondence: Correspondence should be sent to Liyuan (Larry) Ma, Global Outcomes Research, PO Box 4, WP97-243, Merck & Co, Inc, West Point, PA 19486 (e-mail: larry_ma{at}merck.com). Reprints can be ordered at http://www.ajph.org by clicking on the "Reprints/Eprints" link.

Objectives. We sought to compare the burden of hospitalizations associated with rotavirus gastroenteritis (RGE) in children younger than 5 years in US Medicaid and non-Medicaid populations in 2000 and 2003.

Methods. We used the Kids' Inpatient Database (KID) to examine the burden of RGE-associated hospitalizations in terms of numbers and rates of hospitalizations, lengths of stay, and hospital charges. Two indirect methods were also used to estimate RGE-associated hospitalizations, because rotavirus testing is not routinely performed.

Results. Approximately 40% of children younger than 5 years were enrolled in Medicaid in 2003, but this population accounted for nearly 50% of all RGE-associated hospitalizations and 60% of total charges. Children enrolled in Medicaid had significantly greater hospitalization rates, average lengths of stay, and average charges per stay than did those not enrolled.

Conclusions. Although RGE affects all socioeconomic groups, the Medicaid population accounted for a disproportionate number of the hospitalizations. With the inclusion of rotavirus vaccines in the pediatric immunization schedule, it is important that US children, especially those enrolled in Medicaid programs, are vaccinated to reduce the burden of RGE.






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