Intensive Care Unit Admissions Purchased or Delivered by Veterans in the VA Health Care System.

ABSTRACT:

Importance

The Maintaining Internal Systems and Strengthening Integrated Outside Networks (MISSION) Act expanded access to community-based health care for veterans enrolled in the Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Care System. At the same time, the COVID-19 pandemic created unprecedented demand for intensive care unit (ICU) care. The combined impact of these changes on critical care delivery, outcomes, and spending remains unclear.

Objective

To describe patterns in ICU admissions, case complexity, 90-day mortality, and VA spending for VA-delivered vs VA-purchased community ICU care from 2019 to 2023.

Design, setting, and participants

Repeated cross-sectional study of 1 151 915 ICU admissions among veterans treated at 99 VA medical centers (VAMCs) and 4288 community hospita

SUBMITTER: Hahn Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12701510 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature