Hospital units for elderly could cut nation's healthcare costs

Hospital units specifically tailored to care for elderly patients could cut national health care costs by up to $6 billion annually, according to a new UCSF study. Researchers analyzed a pilot program that provides individualized care to 100,000 older patients in hospital units specifically designed for them in 200 hospitals nationwide. The findings were published this month in Health Affairs.If implemented nationwide, the program could save as much as $6 billion a year, or 1 percent of all Medicare costs, the researchers found.