Medicare Data Show Disproportionate Effect of COVID-19 on Racial, Ethnic Minorities

Among Medicare beneficiaries, racial minorities —African Americans, Hispanics, and American Indians/Alaskan Natives—have been disproportionately affected by the global COVID-19 pandemic compared with white beneficiaries, according to a “Preliminary Medicare COVID-19 Snapshot” released this week by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).The report was based on claims data from the Medicare Fee-for-Service (FFS) and Medicare Advantage programs received by July 17. COVID-19 cases were determined by an ICD-10 diagnosis code for COVID-19 on a claim or encounter record for any health care setting —for example, physician’s office, inpatient hospital, or laboratory.According to the report, 549,414 Medicare beneficiaries were diagnosed with COVID-19 between January 1 and June 20. The CMS update reported the following trends about minority groups within the Medicare population:Black beneficiaries have been most severely affected by the pandemic, with 1,658 cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 beneficiaries and 670 COVID-19 hospitalizations per 100,000 beneficiaries.Among Hispanic beneficiaries, there have been 1,230 cases of COVID-19 and 401 COVID-19 hospitalizations per 100,000 beneficiaries.Among American Indian/Alaskan Native beneficiaries, there have been 1,125 cases of COVID-19 and 505 COVID-19 hospitalizations per 100,000 beneficiaries.Dual Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries and those with kidney disease have also been especially hard hit by the pandemic. Dual...
Source: Psychiatr News - Category: Psychiatry Tags: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services COVID-19 health disparities minorities Source Type: research