5 findings on Medicare patients’ care needs during a COVID-19 hospitalization

Becker's Healthcare September 1, 2021
Mackenzie Bean

Medicare patients hospitalized with COVID-19 are treated for a wide range of complex conditions, including sepsis and kidney failure, according to an Aug. 30 report from the HHS’Office of Inspector General.

Researchers used inpatient claims and enrollment data to identify all Medicare patients hospitalized between April 1 and July 31, 2020. They narrowed their analysis to Medicare patients treated at hospitals in six localities, identifying the three-week period in which each localities’ COVID-19 hospitalization rates for this population were highest.

The analysis showed:

• 91 percent of Medicare patients were treated for acute respiratory issues, the most common being viral pneumonia
• 51 percent required intensive care or mechanical ventilation
• 47 percent were treated for...

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