Nursing home queues and home health users.
Home health market growth suggests the need for models explaining home health utilization. We have previously explained state-level Medicare home health visits with reference to nursing home markets. Here we introduce a model whereby state-level Medicare home health use is a function of nursing home queues and other demand and supply factors. Medicare home health users per state population is negatively related to nursing home bed stock, positively to Medicaid eligibility levels and to Medicaid nursing home recipients per population, as well as to various other demand and supply measures. This explanation of home health users explains previously-reported findings for home health visits. The findings support the argument that home health use is explained by factors affecting lengths of nursing home queues.
Swan
J H
JH
Department of Health, Administration & Gerontology, Wichita State University, KS 67260.
Benjamin
A E
AE
D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006699:Home Care Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016018:Least-Squares Analysis; D016013:Likelihood Functions; D006278:Medicare / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009735:Nursing Homes / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D013221:State Health Plans; D014481:United States; D014850:Waiting Lists