Duration of Medicaid AIDS hospitalizations--variation by season, stage, and year.

Abstract
Using New York State Medicaid data from 1984 to 1987, we analyzed hospital length-of-stay patterns for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients. We found an overall decline in monthly average length of stay, with seasonal fluctuations producing longer stays in the fall and winter months. These findings suggest that hospital utilization for AIDS patients is changing over time and may vary by season.