Dataset Information

Healthcare Costs for Insured Older U.S. Adults with Hearing Loss.

ABSTRACT: OBJECTIVES:To measure 18-month healthcare cost difference attributable to hearing loss (HL) in older adults. DESIGN:Matched cohort. SETTING:Retrospective analysis of administrative healthcare bills of insured older Americans. PARTICIPANTS:Older U.S. adults with health insurance in 3 cohorts matched based on HL diagnosis using propensity score methods (N=904,750). MEASUREMENTS:Comparison groups were defined as those with and without HL diagnosis using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, diagnosis codes from billing records. Outcomes measured include 18-month total healthcare payments and healthcare payments broken down according to payment type (inpatient, outpatient, prescription, hearing services). Three comparison cohorts were examined for these outcomes: individuals covered by Medicare plus supplemental private insurance (Cohort 1, n=782,216), those covered only under Medicare (Cohort 2, n=105,296), and those within the Medicare sample that were dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid coverage (Subcohort 3, n=17,238). The quality of the propensity score match was examined using standardized differences in means or proportions between all matched covariates, and cost outcomes were analyzed using multiple generalized linear regression models. RESULTS:Fully adjusted models showed significantly higher 18-month healthcare payments for individuals with a diagnosis of HL without indication of use of hearing services than in those without a HL diagnosis in the 3 samples (payment differences: $3,587 Cohort 1, $3,779 Cohort 2, $4,657 Subcohort 3; all p<.001). Payment differences were also found between individuals with HL and indications of hearing services and those without HL. CONCLUSION:We observed more than 20% higher total healthcare payments over 18 months for a group of insured individuals with HL regardless of insurance type or hearing services use, indicating that negative health-related effects of HL may increase healthcare use unrelated to HL. Thus, clinical care to ameliorate HL may improve overall health.

SUBMITTER: Simpson AN

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6167139 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Healthcare Costs for Insured Older U.S. Adults with Hearing Loss.

Simpson Annie N AN Simpson Kit N KN Dubno Judy R JR

Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 20180524 8

<h4>Objectives</h4>To measure 18-month healthcare cost difference attributable to hearing loss (HL) in older adults.<h4>Design</h4>Matched cohort.<h4>Setting</h4>Retrospective analysis of administrative healthcare bills of insured older Americans.<h4>Participants</h4>Older U.S. adults with health insurance in 3 cohorts matched based on HL diagnosis using propensity score methods (N=904,750).<h4>Measurements</h4>Comparison groups were defined as those with and without HL diagnosis using Internati ...[more]

PMID: 29797584

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Project description:ObjectivesThe goal of this study was to identify the effects of auditory deprivation (age-related hearing loss) and auditory stimulation (history of hearing aid use) on the neural registration of sound across two stimulus presentation conditions: (1) equal sound pressure level and (2) equal sensation level.DesignWe used a between-groups design, involving three groups of 14 older adults (n = 42; 62 to 84 years): (1) clinically defined normal hearing (≤25 dB from 250 to 8000 Hz, bilaterally), (2) bilateral mild-moderate/moderately severe sensorineural hearing loss who have never used hearing aids, and (3) bilateral mild-moderate/moderately severe sensorineural hearing loss who have worn bilateral hearing aids for at least the past 2 years.ResultsThere were significant delays in the auditory P1-N1-P2 complex in older adults with hearing loss compared with their normal hearing peers when using equal sound pressure levels for all participants. However, when the degree and configuration of hearing loss were accounted for through the presentation of equal sensation level stimuli, no latency delays were observed. These results suggest that stimulus audibility modulates P1-N1-P2 morphology and should be controlled for when defining deprivation and stimulus-related neuroplasticity in people with hearing loss. Moreover, a history of auditory stimulation, in the form of hearing aid use, does not appreciably alter the neural registration of unaided auditory evoked brain activity when quantified by the P1-N1-P2.ConclusionsWhen comparing auditory cortical responses in older adults with and without hearing loss, stimulus audibility, and not hearing loss-related neurophysiological changes, results in delayed response latency for those with age-related hearing loss. Future studies should carefully consider stimulus presentation levels when drawing conclusions about deprivation- and stimulation-related neuroplasticity. Additionally, auditory stimulation, in the form of a history of hearing aid use, does not significantly affect the neural registration of sound when quantified using the P1-N1-P2-evoked response.

Project description:Importance:Hearing loss (HL) is common among older adults and is associated with poorer health and impeded communication. Hearing aids (HAs), while helpful in addressing some of the outcomes of HL, are not covered by Medicare. Objective:To determine whether HA use is associated with health care costs and utilization in older adults. Design, Setting, and Participants:This retrospective cohort study used nationally representative 2013-2014 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data to evaluate the use of HAs among 1336 adults aged 65 years or older with HL. An inverse propensity score weighting was applied to adjust for potential selection bias between older adults with and without HAs, all of whom reported having HL. The mean treatment outcomes of HA use on health care utilization and costs were estimated. Exposures:Encounter with the US health care system. Main Outcomes and Measures:(1) Total health care, Medicare, and out-of-pocket spending; (2) any emergency department (ED), inpatient, and office visit; and (3) number of ED visits, nights in hospital, and office visits. Results:Of the 1336 individuals included in the study, 574 (43.0%) were women; mean (SD) age was 77 (7) years. Adults without HAs (n = 734) were less educated, had lower income, and were more likely to be from minority subpopulations. The mean treatment outcomes of using HAs per participant were (1) higher total annual health care spending by $1125 (95% CI, $1114 to $1137) and higher out-of-pocket spending by $325 (95% CI, $322 to $326) but lower Medicare spending by $71 (95% CI, -$81 to -$62); (2) lower probability of any ED visit by 2 percentage points (PPs) (24% vs 26%; 95% CI, -2% to -2%) and lower probability of any hospitalization by 2 PPs (20% vs 22%; 95% CI, -3% to -1%) but higher probability of any office visit by 4 PPs (96% vs 92%; 95% CI, 4% to 4%); and (3) 1.40 more office visits (95% CI, 1.39 to 1.41) but 0.46 (5%) fewer number of hospital nights (95% CI, -0.47 to -0.44), with no association with the number of ED visits, if any (95% CI, 0.01 to 0). Conclusions and Relevance:This study demonstrates the beneficial outcomes of use of HAs in reducing the probability of any ED visits and any hospitalizations and in reducing the number of nights in the hospital. Although use of HAs reduced total Medicare costs, it significantly increased total and out-of-pocket health care spending. This information may have implications for Medicare regarding covering HAs for patients with HL.

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Dataset Information

Healthcare Costs for Insured Older U.S. Adults with Hearing Loss.

Publications

Healthcare Costs for Insured Older U.S. Adults with Hearing Loss.

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