1. Previously Uninsured Medicare Beneficiaries with History of Cardiovascular Disease or Diabetes Have Much Higher Self-Reported Hospital Admissions After Entering Medicare Than Previously Insured
Number of hospital admissions per 2-year period
Recent evidence suggests that leaving so many people uninsured may have long term cost implications for our health system, and Medicare program. A paper by Michael McWilliams and colleagues in the NEJM this summer found that Previously uninsured Medicare beneficiaries with heart disease or diabetes have much higher reported rates of doctor visits and hospital admissions and consequently higher total medical expenditures than do previously insured beneficiaries.
This difference was not a one time difference, but persisted through age 72. Suggests that costs of covering people prior to age 65 might be partly offset by savings to Medicare.
Source: J. M. McWilliams et al., “Use of Health Services by Previously Uninsured Medicare Beneficiaries,” New England Journal of Medicine 357;2, Jul