More ailing joints, hearts and other chronic medical conditions may be to blame for higher spending by Medicare in some communities compared with others, new research suggests.
The study, published by the journal Health Services Research, analyzed Medicare spending across 60 communities for two acute conditions and eight chronic conditions, including heart disease, diabetes and joint degeneration in the knee, lower leg, neck or back.
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The United Health Foundation, a non-profit linked to UnitedHealth Group, offered its first report card Wednesday on the health status of the nation's senior citizens. The study ranked states based on 34 indicators grouped into “determinants” like smoking and obesity and “outcomes” like ICU usage and hip fractures.
The USA Today map of the state rankings offered few surprises.
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