Do Medicare HMOs and Medicare FFS differ in their use of the Medicare hospice benefit?
This study compares use of the hospice benefit in Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) and Medicare risk-health maintenance organization (HMO) options in South Florida in 1992. A higher percentage of deaths occurred in hospice in the HMO option than in the FFS option. Compared to individuals in the FFS option, HMO-enrolled hospice users had longer lengths of hospice stay, lower 7-day mortality and higher 180-day (6 month) survival. These differences are consistent with the physician's financial incentives associated with the two programs.
University of Miami School of Medicine, FL, USA. bvirnig@mednet.med.miami.edu
B A
BA
Virnig
N A
NA
Persily
R O
RO
Morgan
C A
CA
DeVito
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018588:Fee-for-Service Plans / Q000191:economics*; D005260:Female; D005431:Florida; D006279:Health Maintenance Organizations / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006302:Health Services Research; D006738:Hospices / Q000191:economics*; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D006278:Medicare / Q000191:economics*; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014481:United States