The financial impact of a comprehensive adolescent pregnancy program on a university hospital.

This study investigated the financial impact which an adolescent pregnancy program had on one of its sponsoring agencies, the University Hospital, Salt Lake City, UT. Financial data from hospital billings and collections on the 75 teens who delivered during a 12-month period were reviewed. A comparison of the money for salaries supplied to the special program by the hospital with the amount of estimated "new" money generated for the hospital by the program yielded an income to expenditure ratio greater than two. Eighteen teens who were in the lowest self-pay category were matched to self-pay teens delivering at the same hospital who received traditional prenatal care. The hospital collection rate for teens in the special program was not significantly greater than that of the comparison group. The investment in an adolescent pregnancy program was beneficial mainly from the viewpoint of recruitment of patients who were brought into the hospital system as a result of the adolescent pregnancy program.