Changes in Medicare Beneficiaries' Utilization of Health Services

This project will provide a detailed analysis of health services utilization among Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries. The study will examine how utilization levels and growth, overall and per beneficiary, have varied and changed over time across care settings (e.g., inpatient, outpatient, home health, hospice), beneficiary characteristics (e.g., race, gender, age bracket, dual-eligible status, chronic health conditions), and diagnostic information (e.g., DRG codes). It also will consider policy changes over the time period and an epidemiological perspective to incorporate national trends in illness and treatment patterns that could impact spending.