Analysis of hospital costs and insurance reimbursement systems for pneumonia patients: A literature review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35335/midwifery.v13i6.2225Keywords:
Diagnosis Related Groups, Hospital Costs, Insurance Reimbursement, PneumoniaAbstract
Pneumonia has remained one of the leading causes of global morbidity and mortality and has imposed a substantial clinical and financial burden on healthcare systems. The high cost of pneumonia care was influenced by disease severity, comorbidities, length of hospital stay, and the use of therapeutic and diagnostic interventions. The implementation of prospective payment systems, such as Diagnosis Related Groups (DRGs) and INA-CBG’s, aimed to improve cost efficiency; however, it often resulted in gaps between actual hospital costs and reimbursement tariffs. This literature review aimed to analyze hospital costs and insurance reimbursement systems for pneumonia patients. A Systematic Literature Review was conducted following PRISMA guidelines through searches of PubMed and Google Scholar for publications from 2020 to 2025. Eleven articles met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed narratively. The findings indicated that length of stay, clinical complexity, and the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics were the main determinants of high costs. Package-based payment systems improved efficiency but continued to face underfunding challenges. This study concluded that optimizing pneumonia cost management required clinical efficiency, accurate claims coding, and technological support to ensure hospital financial sustainability.
Downloads
References
Adamu, A. L., Karia, B., Bello, M. M., Jahun, M. G., Gambo, S., Ojal, J., Scott, A., Jemutai, J., & Adetifa, I. M. (2022). The cost of illness for childhood clinical pneumonia and invasive pneumococcal disease in Nigeria. BMJ Global Health, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjgh-2021-007080
Agung, I. G., & Deddy, P. (2024). A comparative study of real hospital costs and INA- CBG rates for stroke in Indonesia. Pharmacy Education, 24, 166–172.
Ahmad, S., Al, M., Id, D., Farghaly, M., Ghorab, A., Elaassar, M., Haridy, H., Awad, N., Chickballapur, B., Natarajan, A., Elaassar, M., Haridy, H., & Awad, N. (2021). Real-world evaluation of costs of illness for pneumonia in adult patients in Dubai — A claims database study. PLoS ONE, 16, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0256856
Allen, H., Gordon, S. H., Lee, D., Bhanja, A., & Sommers, B. D. (2021). Comparison of Utilization , Costs , and Quality of Medicaid vs Subsidized Private Health Insurance for Low-Income Adults. 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.32669
Amiri, M. M., Shokri, N., Aliyari, S., & Bahadori, M. (2025). Strategies to reduce costs and increase revenue in hospitals : a mixed methods investigation in Iran. BMC Health Services Research. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-025-12295-7
Behzadi, A., Bayati, M., Bashzar, S., & Jaafaripooyan, E. (2022). The Effect of Prospective Payment Systems on Health Care Providers’ Behavior: A Case Study of Global Surgeries Payment System in Iran. Medical Journal of the Islamic Republic of Iran, 36, 32. https://doi.org/10.47176/mjiri.36.32
Bellamkonda, K. S., Goodney, P. P., Powell, R. J., Ms, W. Z., Menard, M. T., Farber, A., & Cronenwett, J. L. (2025). Optimizing hospital billing by using data from the Vascular Quality Initiative. Journal of Vascular Surgery, 82(6), 2234–2241. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvs.2025.08.007
Bhatia, Anand, & Swaminathan, Jayashankar M. (2025). Measuring Consistency in Service Delivery: Examining the Effect of Process Standardization on Hospital Performance. Production and Operations Management, 10591478251361984. https://doi.org/10.1177/10591478251361985
Campling, J., Jones, D., Chalmers, J., Jiang, Q., Vyse, A., Madhava, H., Ellsbury, G., Rabe, A., & Slack, M. (2020). Clinical and financial burden of hospitalised community- acquired pneumonia in patients with selected underlying comorbidities in England. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjresp-2020-000703
Chen, Y., Zhang, X., Yan, J., Qian, M., & Ying, X. (2023). Impact of Diagnosis-Related Groups on Inpatient Quality of Health Care : A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. https://doi.org/10.1177/00469580231167011
Decicco, D., Krupica, T. M., Pellegrino, R., & Dimachkie, Z. O. (2022). Hospital-Wide Intervention in Billing and Coding to Capture Complexity of Care at an Academic. Journal of Healthcare Management, 67(6). https://doi.org/10.1097/JHM-D-21-00213
Dua, A., Shishehbor, M. H., & Massachusetts, D. G. C. (2025). Comparison of Long-term Outcomes Between Transcatheter Arterialization of the Deep Vein Versus Standard of Care Therapy for No-Option Chronic Limb-Threatening Ischemia Patients Optimizing Hospital Billing by Using Data From the Vascular Quality Initiative. Journal of Vascular Surgery, 81(6), e241–e242. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvs.2025.03.015
Dyah, F., Suryanegara, A., Iskandar, D., Ekaputra, E., Kuntjoro, E., & Setiawan, D. (2025). Costs analysis of radiotherapy for breast cancer in Indonesia : a comparison between reimbursement tariffs and actual costs. 9.
Fenga, X., Chenga, L., & Wei, H. (2024). Study on the cost-control effect of diagnosis- related groups based on meta-analysis. Medicine, 37(August), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1097/MD.0000000000039421
Fitri, D. El, & Sundari, S. (2023). The Cost Difference of Hospital Rates and Indonesia Case Base Grup ( Ina CBGs ) Rates of Inpatient with National Health Insurance Scheme at Private Hospital. Jurnal Aisyah: Jurnal Ilmu Kesehatan, 8(2), 701–708. https://doi.org/10.30604/jika.v8i2.1986
Foni, N. O., Augusto, L., Costa, V., Dias, I., Id, D. C., Lenza, M., & Id, E. A. (2020). Clinical pathway improves medical practice in total knee arthroplasty. 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0232881
Gao, J., Fan, J., Zhou, H., Jit, M., & Wang, P. (2023). related quality of life and economic burden of childhood pneumonia in China : a multiregion study. 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjpo-2023-002031
Ghazaryan, E., Delarmente, B. A., Garber, K., Gross, M., Sriudomporn, S., & Rao, K. D. (2021). Effectiveness of hospital payment reforms in low- and middle-income countries : a systematic review. May, 1344–1356.
Global Burden of Diseases. (2025). Global burden of 292 causes of death in 204 countries and territories and 660 subnational locations, 1990–2023: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2023. The Lancet, 406(10513), 1811–1872. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(25)01917-8
Guan, X., Zhang, C., Hu, H., & Shi, L. (2020). The impact of global budget on expenditure , service volume , and quality of care among patients with pneumonia in a secondary hospital in China : a retrospective study. 1–6.
Hani, T. M. (2020). Penghitungan Unit Cost (UC) dan Penyusunan Tarif Rumah Sakit dengan Metode Double Distribution (DD). Deepublish.
Haqiyah, A. ‘Ulil, Rosidawati, I., & Andikarya, R. O. (2025). Analisis Perbedaan Biaya Riil dengan Tarif Ina- CBG’S dan Faktor yang Mempengaruhinya pada Pasien Appendectomy Peserta BPJS Kesehatan pada RS Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta. Al-Kharaj : Jurnal Ekonomi, Keuangan & Bisnis Syariah, 7, 2667–2673. https://doi.org/10.47467/alkharaj.v7i7.8857
Herlina, N., Purwadhi, P., Pd, M., & Widjaja, Y. R. (2024). Metode Activity Based Costing Dalam Penentuan Tarif Di RSUD Waikabubak Sumba Barat-NTT. Jurnal Manajemen Dan Administrasi Rumah Sakit Indonesia (MARSI), 8(4).
Hu, H., Zhou, T., Gao, J., Ou, Y., Ma, A., & Wang, P. (2024). Economic burden and influence factors among hospitalized children with bronchiolitis or pneumonia : a multiregional study in China. September. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1364854
Ibrahim, O., Alexander, P., Alarcon, R., George, L. J., Gupta, S., Cristina, M., Mesa, C., Sueldo, A., Fonseca, J. Y., & John, H. (2021). Demographics and outcomes of cancer patients on Medicaid versus private in- surance admitted to the hospital in a national sample . 13823. https://doi.org/10.1200/JCO.2025.43.16
Jacobs, M. A., Tetley, J. C., Kim, J., Schmidt, S., Brimhall, B. B., Mika, V., Pin, C., Laura, W., Paul, S. M., & Paula, D. (2023). Association of Cumulative Colorectal Surgery Hospital Costs , Readmissions , and Emergency Department / Observation Stays with Insurance Type. Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery, 27(5), 965–979. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11605-022-05576-7
Jeck, J., Wingen-heimann, S. M., Jakobs, F., Franz, J., Baltin, C. T., Kron, A., Böll, B., Kochanek, M., Cornely, O. A., & Kron, F. (2022). Last Resort Antibiotics Costs and Reimbursement Analysis of Real-Life ICU Patients with Pneumonia Caused by Multidrug-Resistant Gram-Negative Bacteria in Germany. MDPI Journal, 10(254). https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare10122546
Joseph, J. (2025). P-1157. Clinical and Economic Outcome of Drugs Used in the Treatment of Pneumonia in Pediatric Population in a Tertiary Care Hospital in India-A Pharmacoeconomic Analysis. In Open Forum Infectious Diseases (Vol. 12, Issue Suppl 1). https://doi.org/10.1093/ofid/ofae631.1343
Jyani, G., Gedam, P., Sharma, S., Dixit, J., & Prinja, S. (2025). Financial Viability of Private Hospitals Operating Under India ’ s National Health Insurance Scheme Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri ‑ Jan Arogya Yojana ( AB PM ‑ JAY ). Applied Health Economics and Health Policy, 23(5), 841–853. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40258-025-00966-9
Kelmaskosu, A. Y. (2026). Defisit dan Surplus Dampak Sistem INA CBG’S: Studi Kasus Pembiayaan Pasien Jiwa Pendahuluan. Indonesian of Health Information Management Journal (INOHIM), 13(2), 90–96. https://doi.org/10.47007/inohim.v13i2.706
Kementerian Kesehatan RI. (2025). Bahaya Peningkatan Kasus Pneumonia di Indonesia Angkatan 1. Kementerian Kesehatan RI. https://lms.kemkes.go.id/courses/2f96bca2-840b-40a7-b400-612ddf0d5568
Kruckow, K. L., Zhao, K., Bowdish, D. M. E., & Orihuela, C. J. (2023). Acute organ injury and long ‑ term sequelae of severe pneumococcal infections. Pneumonia. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41479-023-00110-y
Kurniawati, I. D., & Sugeng. (2024). Hospital Cost Containment Efforts on the Differences between Hospital Real Rates and INA CBG’s Rates for Inpatients with Pneumonia Complications at Dr. Sardjito Hospital. Procedia of Engineering and Life Science Vol. 7 2024, 7, 23–28.
Lawrence, H., Lim, W. S., & Mckeever, T. M. (2020). Variation in clinical outcomes and process of care measures in community acquired pneumonia : a systematic review.
Lee, H., Noh, J.-W., Lee, S., Choi, J.-K., Kim, J.-H., Lee, H., & Lee, J. Y. (2025). Variations in length of stay and cost of pediatric pneumonia hospitalizations according to patient and institutional factors. International Journal for Quality in Health Care, 37(3), mzaf054. https://doi.org/10.1093/intqhc/mzaf054
Lee, H., Noh, J., Lee, S., Choi, J., Lee, J. Y., Lee, H., & Kim, J. (2025). Variability in the Length of Stay and Daily Medical Expenses in Inpatient Care in Korea, 2010 – 2019 : Hypertension and Pneumonia. Journal Korean of Medical Sciences., 40(13), 1–7.
Leeuwen, L. V. L. Van, Mesman, R., Berden, H. J. J. M., & Jeurissen, P. P. T. (2023). Reimbursement of care does not equal the distribution of hospital resources : an explorative case study on a missing link among Dutch hospitals. BMC Health Services Research, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-023-09649-4
Leeuwen, L. V. L. Van, Mesman, R., Verberne, V. A., Jeurissen, P. P. T., & Berden, B. H. J. J. M. (2025). Exploring facilitators and barriers in the financial model of hospitals : a qualitative case study on prehabilitation from the Netherlands. 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2024-095154
Li, X., Zhang, Y., Zhang, X., Li, X., Lin, X., & Han, Y. (2022). Effects of fee ‑ for ‑ service , diagnosis ‑ related ‑ group , and mixed payment systems on physicians ’ medical service behavior : experimental evidence. BMC Health Services Research, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-022-08218-5
Lin, K., Li, Y., Yao, Y., Xiong, Y., & Xiang, L. (2024). The impact of an innovative payment method on medical expenditure , efficiency , and quality for inpatients with different types of medical insurance : evidence from a pilot city , China. International Journal for Equity in Health, 2, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-024-02196-2 (2024)
Linying, S. (2025). A Case Study on the Efficiency of Medical Insurance Cost Accounting in Public Hospitals U nder DRG Policy — Taking XX Hospital as an Example. 2(2), 1–7.
Liu, F., Chen, J., & Li, C. (2023). Cost Sharing and Cost Shifting Mechanisms under a per Diem Payment System in a County of China.
Liu, Y., Wang, G., Qin, T., Kobayashi, S., Karako, T., & Song, P. (2024). payment system design and implementation strategies in different countries : The case of ischemic stroke. BioScience Trends, 18(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.5582/bst.2023.01027
Marin, S., Serra-, M., Ortega, O., & Clavé, P. (2020). related cost of oropharyngeal dysphagia and its complications pneumonia and malnutrition after stroke : a systematic review. 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2019-031629
Meiselbach, M. K., Wang, Y., Xu, J., Bai, G., & Anderson, G. F. (2023). Hospital Prices For Commercial Plans Are Twice Those For Medicare Advantage Plans When Negotiated By The Same Insurer. Health Affairs (Project Hope), 42(8), 1110–1118. https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2023.00039
Nathwani, D., Rubinstein, E., Barlow, G., & Davey, P. (2001). Do Guidelines for Community-Acquired Pneumonia Improve the Cost-Effectiveness of Hospital Care? Clinical Infectious Diseases, 32(5), 728–741. https://doi.org/10.1086/319216
Ning, J., Liu, L., Cherlin, E., Peng, Y., Xiong, H., & Tao, H. (2020). Impact of reimbursement rates on the length of stay in tertiary public hospitals : a retrospective cohort study in. 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2020-040066
Noba, L. (2020). Enhanced Recovery After Surgery ( ERAS ) Reduces Hospital Costs and Improve Clinical Outcomes in Liver Surgery : a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. 918–932.
Page, M. J., Mckenzie, J. E., Bossuyt, P. M., Boutron, I., Hoffmann, C., Mulrow, C. D., Shamseer, L., Tetzlaff, J. M., Akl, E. A., Brennan, S. E., Chou, R., Glanville, J., Grimshaw, J. M., Hróbjartsson, A., Lalu, M. M., Li, T., Loder, E. W., Mayo-wilson, E., Mcdonald, S., … Moher, D. (2021). The PRISMA 2020 statement : an updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n71
Parikh, K., Biondi, E., Nazif, J., Wasif, F., Williams, D. J., Nichols, E., & Ralston, S. (2017). A Multicenter Collaborative to Improve Care of Community Acquired Pneumonia in Hospitalized Children. Pediatrics, 139(3). https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2016-1411
Pradhana, A. T., Yuadi, I., Puspitasari, I., & Mar, E. (2024). Selisih Klaim INA-CBGs dengan Tarif Aktual di RS X Surabaya Discrepancy between INA-CBGs Reimbursements and Actual Hospital Tariffs at Hospital X Surabaya. Jurnal Manajemen Kesehatan Yayasan RS. Dr. Soetomo, 11 No.2, 350–367.
Putra, D. H., Kirani, N., Rumana, N. A., & Dewi, D. R. (2023). Faktor Yang Berpengaruh Dalam Penggunaan Sistem INA CBGs Di Rumah Sakit Islam Jakarta Pondok Kopi. Jurnal Ilmiah Perekam Dan Informasi Kesehatan Imelda, 8(2), 156–164.
Quentin, W., Stephani, V., Berenson, R. A., Bilde, L., Grasic, K., & Sikkut, R. (2022). How Denmark, England, Estonia, France, Germany, and the USA Pay for Variable, Specialized and Low Volume Care : A Cross-country Comparison of In-patient Payment Systems. Kerman University of Medical Sciences, 11(12), 2940–2950. https://doi.org/10.34172/ijhpm.2022.6536
Rachmawaty, R., Wahyudin, E., & Bukhari, A. (2025). Exploring patient’ s clinical outcomes, hospital costs, and satisfaction after the implementation of integrated clinical pathway-based nursing practice model. 5.
Rafeq, R., & Igneri, L. A. (2024). Infectious Pulmonary Diseases. Infectious Disease Clinics of North America, 38(1), 1–17. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.idc.2023.12.006
Rahardjoputro, R., Amrullah, A. W., Santoso, J., Ardya, H., & Saraswati, C. (2024). Cost-Consequence Analysis of Levofloxacin Compared to Ceftriaxone in Community-Acquired Pneumonia of Adult Inpatients at X Hospital Surakarta. 11(1), 89–100. https://doi.org/10.20473/jfiki.v11i12024.89-100
Rahmatiqa, C., Sulrieni, I. N., & Dasril, O. (2021). Implementation of Hospital Unit Costs with INA- CBGS Rates. Advances in Health Sciences Research, 39, 160–172.
Rahmawati, C., & Nopitasari, B. L. (2021). Analisis Biaya Langsung Medis Terapi Seftriakson Dibandingkan Dengan Levofloksasin Pada Pasien Pneumonia Komunitas di Rumah Sakit Pemerintah X NTB. Jurnal Farmasi Indonesia, 18(1), 74–81.
Rotter, T., Kinsman, L. D., Alsius, A., Scott, S. D., Lawal, A., Ronellenfitsch, U., Plishka, C., Groot, G., Woods, P., Coulson, C., & al., et. (2025). Clinical pathways for secondary care and the effects on professional practice, patient outcomes, length of stay and hospital costs. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 5. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD006632.pub3
Sarda, C., & Rello, J. (2020). Burden of Community-Acquired Pneumonia and Unmet Clinical Needs. 1302–1318. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12325-020-01248-7
Schneider, J. E., Cooper, J. T., Schneider, J. E., & Cooper, J. T. (2022). Cost impact analysis of novel host-response diagnostic for patients with community-acquired pneumonia in the emergency department community-acquired pneumonia in the emergency department. Journal of Medical Economics, 25(1), 138–151. https://doi.org/10.1080/13696998.2022.2026686
Theilacker, C., Id, R. S., Leverkus, F., Walker, J., Eiff, C. Von, & Schiffner-rohe, J. (2021). PLOS ONE Population-based incidence and mortality of community-acquired pneumonia in Germany. Ir 108, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0253118
Torres, A., Cilloniz, C., Niederman, M. S., Menéndez, R., Chalmers, J. D., Wunderink, R. G., & van der Poll, T. (2021). Pneumonia. Nature Reviews. Disease Primers, 7(1), 25. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41572-021-00259-0
Vinod, N., & Sowmy, A. (2025). F UTURE J OURNAL OF P HARMACEUTICALS AND. 5(1), 99–104.
Wang, J., Xu, Z., & Lu, J. (2022). Hospitalization costs for children with pneumonia in Shanghai , China from 2019 to 2020. Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics, 18(5). https://doi.org/10.1080/21645515.2022.2081459
Wardati, Y., Sinuraya, R. K., Kusuma, A. S. W., Subarnas, A., & Diantini, A. (2023). Cost-minimization analysis of pneumonia treatment in Indonesia. 70, 391–394. https://doi.org/10.3897/pharmacia.70.e100334
Weycker, D., Moynahan, A., Silvia, A., & Sato, R. (2021). Attributable Cost of Adult Hospitalized Pneumonia Beyond the Acute Phase. PharmacoEconomics - Open, 5(2), 275–284. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41669-020-00240-9
Wohlin, J., Fischer, C., Carlsson, K. S., Korlén, S., Mazzocato, P., & Savage, C. (2021). As predicted by theory : choice and competition in a publicly funded and regulated regional health system yield improved access and cost control. 6, 1–9.
Wu, S. Q., Wang, X. C., Boyd, A. D., Feng, D., Zhong, M., & Nie, D. (2025). Exploration of clinical pathway practice for optimization of DRG costing results based on resource consumption.
Wu, Y., Liu, K., Mao, X., Wu, D., & Zhu, F. (2025). Evaluation of the Use of a Novel Intelligent Diagnosis and Cost Control System on Pediatric Bronchopneumonia Outcomes : Retrospective Cohort Study. JMIR Pediatric Parenting, 8, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.2196/74964
Yue, X., Durrani, S. K., Li, R., Liu, W., & Manzoor, S. (2025). Evolutionary game model for the behavior of private sectors in elderly healthcare public – private partnership under the condition of information asymmetry. BMC Health Services Research. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-025-12321-8
Zhao, L., Zeng, K., Chen, F., Li, W., & Zhao, J. (2025). Impact of China’s diagnosis-intervention packet payment reform on pediatric pneumonia hospitalization costs : an interrupted time series analysis. BMC. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12962-025-00623-x
Zilberberg, M. D., Greenberg, M., & Curt, V. (2025). The Burden of Hospitalization and Rehospitalization Among Patients Hospitalized with Severe Community-Acquired Bacterial Pneumonia in the United States , 2018 – 2022. MDPI Antibiotics, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics14070642


