Key result
COVID-19 hospitalization in Medicare patients linked to substantially higher post-discharge healthcare costs and utilization.
Why the study?
The study aimed to quantify all-cause direct healthcare costs and healthcare resource utilization in the six months before and after COVID-19 hospitalization among Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries during the recent Omicron period.
Does COVID-19 hospitalization increase healthcare costs and resource utilization in Medicare beneficiaries aged ≥65 years?
Observational
Does COVID-19 hospitalization increase healthcare costs and resource utilization in Medicare beneficiaries aged ≥65 years?
COVID-19 hospitalization among older adults is associated with substantial and sustained increases in post-discharge healthcare costs and resource utilization.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
May warrant caution in post-discharge planning for Medicare beneficiaries; leaves open whether interventions can mitigate excess utilization.
AIMS: The objective of this study was to quantify all-cause direct healthcare costs and healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) in the six months before and after COVID-19-associated hospitalization among Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) beneficiaries during the recent Omicron period (March 2023-March 2025). METHODS: This retrospective observational study used 100% Medicare FFS claims data. Beneficiaries aged ≥65 years with a COVID-19 hospitalization between September 2023 and September 2024 and continuous enrollment for six months pre-admission and post-discharge were included. A within-group pre/post design compared mean cumulative per-patient healthcare costs and HCRU during the six-month pre-admission and post-discharge periods, excluding index hospitalization costs. Outcomes were stratified by hospitalization severity and post-discharge care setting. CONCLUSIONS: COVID-19 hospitalization among Medicare FFS beneficiaries is associated with substantial increases in post-discharge healthcare costs and utilization, particularly among patients with greater severity and post-acute care needs. These findings highlight the sustained economic burden of COVID-19 in older adults and underscore the need for targeted post-discharge care strategies.
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Yehoshua et al. (2026) conducted an observational in COVID-19. COVID-19 hospitalization vs. Pre-admission period was evaluated on Mean cumulative per-patient healthcare costs and healthcare resource utilization (p=<0.001). COVID-19 hospitalization among Medicare beneficiaries was associated with substantial increases in post-discharge healthcare costs and utilization compared to the pre-admission period (P<0.001).
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