New CMS data confirms that older Americans and people with chronic health conditions are at highest risk for COVID-19, and that the virus has
More than 325,000 Medicare beneficiaries were diagnosed with COVID-19 between Jan. 1 and May 16, 2020, according to new data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Nearly 110,000 of those beneficiaries were hospitalized.
The preliminary CMS data is described in a June 22 blog by CMS Administrator Seema Verma. It confirms previous findings by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that:
- Older Americans and those with chronic health conditions are at highest risk for COVID-19.
- The virus has disproportionately impacted racial and ethnic minority groups and lower income adults.
The data snapshot, which is based on Medicare data, breaks down COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations for Medicare beneficiaries by state, race/ethnicity, dual eligibility for Medicare and Medicaid, age, gender, and urban/rural areas.
Verma’s blog shares the following key findings for Jan. 1 through May 16.
Chronic Conditions: Among those hospitalized with COVID-19, the 5 most prevalent chronic conditions for Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries were:
- Hypertension (79%).
- Hyperlipidemia (60%).
- Chronic kidney disease (50%).
- Anemia (50%).
- Diabetes (50%).
Hospitalizations: More than a quarter (28%) of hospitalized beneficiaries died in the hospital, and 27% were discharged to their homes. The remaining beneficiaries were discharged to skilled nursing facilities (21%) or other healthcare settings.
Half of hospitalizations (50%) were less than 8 days, while 9% were 21 days or longer.
Medicare payments for fee-for-service hospitalizations totaled $1.9 billion, with an average of $23,094 per hospitalization.
Health Disparities: COVID-19 infection rates were higher for:
- Black beneficiaries (465 hospitalizations per 100,000 beneficiaries).
- Hispanic beneficiaries (258 hospitalizations per 100,000 beneficiaries).
- Beneficiaries who are age 85 or older (379 hospitalizations per 100,000 beneficiaries/100k).
The highest COVID-19 hospitalization rate was recorded for beneficiaries who are eligible for Medicare because they have end-stage renal disease (1,341 hospitalizations per 100,000 beneficiaries).
Dual Eligible Beneficiaries: Beneficiaries enrolled in both Medicare and Medicaid had a higher rate of COVID-19 hospitalizations: 473 hospitalizations per 100,000 beneficiaries. The rate of COVID-19 hospitalizations for dually eligible individuals was higher across all age, sex, and race/ethnicity groups.