Costs Associated with Health Care Services Accessed through VA and in the Community through Medicare for Veterans Experiencing Homelessness.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To estimate health care utilization and costs incurred by homeless Veterans relative to nonhomeless Veterans and to examine the impact of a VA homelessness program on these outcomes.

Data sources/study setting

Combined Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) administrative and Medicare claims data.

Study design

Observational study using longitudinal data from Veterans engaged with the VA system and enrolled in Medicare. Veterans with administrative evidence of homelessness at any point during 2006-2010 were matched on period of military service to Veterans with no evidence of homelessness.

Principal findings

Experience of homelessness was associated with 1.37 (95 percent CI = 1.34-1.40) and 0.16 (95 percent CI = 0.14-0.17) more outpatient encounters per q

SUBMITTER: Nelson RE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6235814 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature