AccessMyLibrary provides FREE access to over 30 million articles from top publications available through your library.
Create a link to this page
Copy and paste this link tag into your Web page or blog:
More risk factors for heart disease increase Medicare cost.
2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Preventing heart disease risk factors in younger adults could be a money-saving investment for the federal Medicare program, researchers reported in two studies presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2003 held in early November.
The studies found that people who had cardiovascular risk factors identified during middle age had increasing Medicare costs after age 65 and during the last year of their life. Most previous studies have assessed healthcare costs in the years immediately after risk assessment.
"Even if they live far longer, people who enter middle age with lower heart disease risk factors cost Medicare less money," said lead author of one study Kiang Liu, PhD, professor of preventive medicine at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois.
Liu's study found that Medicare spent an average $18,604 to treat cardiovascular disease in men over age 65 who had none of the six major controllable risk factors when screened at middle age. Costs for men with three or more risk factors in middle age were more than twice as high: $38,044. Those with one to two risk factors had intermediate costs: $28,483 for those with one risk factor and $28,632 for those with two. All costs were adjusted to year 2000 levels and for participants' baseline age, education, and body-mass index. Drug costs not covered by Medicare were not included.
Women without any risk factors earlier in life cost Medicare an average $11,711 to treat cardiovascular disease from age 65 until death. Those with one risk factor cost $19,171; those with two cost $24,048; and those with three or more cost $38,059, the researchers reported.
In the two studies, investigators analyzed the Medicare costs before death among people who had been screened for heart disease risk factors when they were much younger.
Liu's study analyzed inpatient and outpatient Medicare costs in 1,246 men and 775 women who enrolled in Medicare from age 65 and died between 1984-2000. Each had participated in the Chicago Heart Association Detection Project, a study of more than 40,000 blue- and white-collar workers. In 1967-73, when the participants were 35 to 52 years old, they had been screened for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, cigarette smoking, abnormal electrocardiograms, and a history of diabetes or previous heart attack.
- More risk factors for heart disease increase Medicare cost.
- Newspaper article from: Heart Disease Weekly December 7, 2003 700+ words
...illnesses in those with more risk factors, the researchers reported. Total Medicare costs for all illness between...those with three or more risk factors. "Medicare costs strongly relate to middle-age risk factors. People need to pay attention...
- Chronic illnesses drive rise in Medicare costs.
- Newspaper article from: Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Atlanta, GA) August 24, 2006 700+ words
...care they should be getting." Overall, the study found, Medicare costs rose from $80 billion in 1987 to $255 billion in 2002...Howard, found that a cluster of cardiovascular-related risk factors, often called metabolic syndrome, affects almost half of...
- 2005 Medicare Advantage payment rates include risk factors.(Policy Watch)(Brief...
- Magazine article from: Healthcare Financial Management July 1, 2004 700+ words
...the counties will receive a rate increase of 6.6 percent in 2005, which is the estimated minimum increase in per capita Medicare costs for county demographic rates for aged beneficiaries. The other 20 percent of counties will receive the local average per...
- Modeling Medicare Costs of PACE Populations.(Program of All-Inclusive Care for...
- Health Care Financing Review Robinson, James Karon, Sarita L. March 22, 2000 700+ words
...sites to estimate the aggregate ratio of PACE Medicare costs to national Medicare costs. The SHMO data were ideal for this purpose...membership. However, that study estimated Medicare costs based upon the characteristics of individuals...
- Improved Care for Kidney Patients Reduces Medicare Costs and Saves Taxpayers...
- Newspaper article from: Biotech Week April 29, 2009 700+ words
...see also Medicare and Medicaid). Medicare costs for CKD and end-stage renal disease...with CKD account for 16.5 percent of Medicare costs in the year the disease is diagnosed...contributing to about $1.5 billion in Medicare costs annually. In addition, fistulas cost...
- CONTROLLING MEDICARE COSTS.(Main)(Editorial)
- Newspaper article from: Albany Times Union (Albany, NY) May 25, 1989 700+ words
...curb the predictable and seemingly unlimited increases in Medicare costs. Medicare now has the distinction of being the fastest growing major federal program. Last year Medicare costs rose by 17 percent. That is about 4 times the rate of inflation...
- Does Health Status Explain Higher Medicare Costs of Medicaid Enrollees?
- Health Care Financing Review Liu, Korbin Long, Sharon K. Aragon, Cynthia December 22, 1998 700+ words
...care costs in the Medicare population, we analyzed the Medicare costs of elderly persons who were dually eligible in comparison...characteristics provides an estimate of how much the remaining higher Medicare costs of dually eligible beneficiaries might be attributable to...
- Former Senator Dole Educates Florida Seniors about Medicare Costs.
- Newspaper article from: Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News March 31, 2004 700+ words
...of the 35 years he spent in Congress, Dole said he knows Medicare costs will go up. He said "we're going to have to figure out...a limit on how much money is available," Dole said. "Medicare costs a great deal more than the original budgeteers said it will...
