The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #55857

Beth Hartman Ellis, PhD¹, Erin Dowd Shannon, MPH¹, and Jacquilyn Kay Cox, PhD². (1) Surveys, Research & Analysis, Health Services Advisory Group, Inc., 1600 E. Northern Ave., Suite 100, Phoenix, AZ 85020, 602-745-6211, bellis.azpro@sdps.org, (2) Surveys, Research & Analysis, Health Services Advisory Group, 1600 E. Northern Ave., Suite 100, Phoenix, AZ 85020

This paper presents the results of analyses on the first cohort of beneficiaries in the Medicare Health Outcomes Survey. Beginning in 1998 and continuing annually, a Medicare Health Outcomes Survey Baseline Cohort is created from a random sample of 1,000 Medicare members from each applicable Medicare contract market area. These same beneficiaries are re-measured two years later. Medicare beneficiaries who have been continuously enrolled in their health plan for at least six months are eligible for sampling. Institutionalized beneficiaries, nursing home residents, and disabled under age 65 beneficiaries are eligible for inclusion. Beneficiaries are not eligible for sampling if they had participated in the Consumer Assessment of Health Plans (CAHPS®) Survey in the cohort sample year, unless the plan’s total Medicare membership falls below 1,600. A sample of 51,700 beneficiaries was used for these analyses. Regression analyses indicate that age, newly diagnosed arthritis of the hip/knee, arthritis of the hip/knee diagnosed prior to baseline, newly diagnosed sciatica, COPD diagnosed prior to baseline, as well as total comorbidity at baseline and increased comorbidity between baseline and follow up met the effect size criterion of 0.5% of the variance that explained decline in physical component summary scores. The number of newly diagnosed chronic conditions that an individual had and feeling depressed for two or more years were the only two variables that explained at least 0.5% of the variance for decline in MCS scores during the two-year period.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify risk factors for physical and mental health decline for beneficiaries in managed care plans;
• Evaluate methodology for analyzing data from two points in time;
• List key predictors in physical and mental health decline

Keywords: Elderly, Quality of Life

Related Web page: www.cms.hhs.gov/surveys/hos

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.