title: The geography of Medicare: explaining differences in payment and costs.
abstract: This issue brief examines the sources of variation in Medicare payment and costs across different geographic areas and different sites of care. It discusses payment policies that address variation in the cost of providing care, such as input price adjustments and special payments to hospitals. It also considers differences due to beneficiaries' health status and physicians' practice patterns. Finally, it explores policy options to address Medicare geographic variation.
authors.forename: Nora
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Super
mesh_terms: D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D005843:Geography / Q000191:economics*; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D006278:Medicare / Q000191:economics*; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000191:economics; D011445:Prospective Payment System / Q000191:economics*; D014481:United States