title: Medicare payments: how much do chronic conditions matter?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Analyze differences in Medicare Fee-for-Service utilization (i.e., program payments) by beneficiary characteristics, such as gender, age, and prevalence of chronic conditions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using the 2008 and 2010 Chronic Conditions Public Use Files, we conduct a descriptive analysis of enrollment and program payments by gender, age categories, and eleven chronic conditions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We find that the effect of chronic conditions on Medicare payments is dramatic. Average Medicare payments increase significantly with the number of chronic conditions. Finally, we quantify the effect of individual conditions and find that "Stroke / Transient Ischemic Attack" and "Chronic Kidney Disease" are the costliest chronic conditions for Part A, and "Cancer" and "Chronic Kidney Disease" are the costliest for Part B.
authors.affiliation: IMPAQ International LLC.
authors.forename: Erkan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Erdem
authors.affiliation: PROESA-Research Center for Social Protection and Health Economics ; Universidad Icesi.
authors.forename: Sergio I
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Prada
authors.affiliation: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
authors.forename: Samuel C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Haffer
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology; D018588:Fee-for-Service Plans / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D002546:Ischemic Attack, Transient / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D006278:Medicare / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016344:Medicare Part A / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016345:Medicare Part B / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D051436:Renal Insufficiency, Chronic / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology; D012737:Sex Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: Chronic Conditions; Chronic Disease; Dual-Eligibility; Gender/Sex Differences in Health and Health Care; Health Care Costs; Health Promotion / Prevention / Screening; Medicare; Medicare Part A; Medicare Part B; Public Use Files
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