Can Food Stamps help to reduce Medicare spending on diabetes?

TitleCan Food Stamps help to reduce Medicare spending on diabetes?
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2011
AuthorsNicholas, LHersch
JournalEcon Hum Biol
Volume9
Issue1
Pagination1-13
Date Published2011 Jan
ISSN Number1873-6130
Call Numbernewpubs2010112_Nicholas.pdf
KeywordsAged, Aged, 80 and over, Biomarkers, Confidence Intervals, Cross-Sectional Studies, Diabetes Mellitus, Female, Glycated Hemoglobin, Health Care Costs, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Medicare, Middle Aged, Odds Ratio, Outpatients, Poverty, Prevalence, Public Assistance, Regression Analysis, Social Welfare, Treatment Outcome, United States
Abstract

Diabetes is rapidly escalating amongst low-income, older adults at great cost to the Medicare program. We use longitudinal survey data from the Health and Retirement Study linked to administrative Medicare records and biomarker data to assess the relationship between Food Stamp receipt and diabetes health outcomes. We find no significant difference in Medicare spending, outpatient utilization, diabetes hospitalizations and blood sugar (HbA1c) levels between recipients and income-eligible non-recipients after controlling for a detailed set of covariates including individual fixed effects and measures of diabetes treatment compliance. As one-third of elderly Food Stamp recipients are currently diabetic, greater coordination between the Food Stamp, Medicare, and Medicaid programs may improve health outcomes for this group.

DOI10.1016/j.ehb.2010.10.003
User Guide Notes

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21112260?dopt=Abstract

Endnote Keywords

Diabetes/Food Stamps/biomarker data/elderly/Medicare spending/HbA1c/Public Policy

Endnote ID

24080

Alternate JournalEcon Hum Biol
Citation Key7510
PubMed ID21112260
PubMed Central IDPMC3032985
Grant ListT32 AG000221 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
T32 AG000221-17 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
P30 AG012846-17S1 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
P30 AG012846 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
R24 HD041028 / HD / NICHD NIH HHS / United States