Impact of COVID-19 on Hospital Expenses of Diabetes and Obesity Patients in Rural Eastern North Carolina

Multiple chronic conditions have caused a significant increase in hospital expenses. Diabetes and obesity have been identified as variables that negatively impact patient outcomes, but hospital expenses for diabetes and obesity patients who had and did not have COVID-19 had not been explored. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to compare the difference in hospital expenses, if any, of diabetes and obesity patients with and without COVID-19 at a North Carolina rural health care center. The study’s design was a correlational analysis using simple linear regression guided by Andersen’s behavioral model of health service utilization. The dependent variable was hospital expenses, and the independent variables were diabetes and obesity among patients with and without a COVID-19 diagnosis. Secondary data included 1,900 male and female inpatients from a rural North Carolina hospital who had diabetes and obesity from 2020 to 2021. Results indicated a statistically significant positive relationship between hospital expenses and COVID-19 patients with diabetes and obesity. The total charges increased by $22,195 with the presence of a COVID-19 diagnosis. The implications for positive social change include policy formation and future planning initiatives to help lower costs and improve patient outcomes.