Differences in risk-adjusted mortality between medicaid-eligible patients enrolled in medicare advantage plans and those enrolled in the veterans health administration.
BACKGROUND
We compared risk-adjusted mortality rates between Medicaid-eligible patients in the Medicare Advantage plans ("MA dual enrollees") and Medicaid-eligible patients in the Veterans Health Administration ("VHA dual enrollees").


METHODS
We used the Death Master File to ascertain the vital status of 1912 MA and 2361 VHA dual enrollees. We used Cox regression models to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).


RESULTS
The 3-year mortality rates of VHA and MA dual enrollees were 15.8% and 19.0%, respectively. The adjusted HR of mortality in the MA dual enrollees was significantly higher than in the VHA dual enrollees (HR, 1.260 [95% CI, 1.044-1.520]). This was also the case for elderly patients and those from racial/ethnic minority groups.


CONCLUSIONS
The VHA had better health outcomes than did MA plans. The VHA's performance is reassuring, given its emphasis on equal access to healthcare in an environment that is less dependent on patient financial considerations.
Selim
Alfredo J
AJ
Center for Health Quality, Outcomes, and Economic Research, VA Medical Center, Bedford, Massachusetts, 01730, USA. Selim.Alfredo_j@Boston.Med.Va.gov
Kazis
Lewis E
LE
Qian
Shirley
S
Rothendler
James A
JA
Spiro
Avron
A
Rogers
William
W
Haffer
Samuel C
SC
Wright
Steven M
SM
Miller
Donald
D
Selim
Bernardo J
BJ
Fincke
Benjamin G
BG
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008484:Medicaid; D020398:Medicare Part C; D008875:Middle Aged; D009026:Mortality / Q000639:trends*; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D020379:Risk Adjustment; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014493:United States Department of Veterans Affairs; D055815:Young Adult