The impact of low-value care received by Medicare beneficiaries outside of their health systems

Medical Xpress August 8, 2023
By The Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth

Results from a new study conducted by a team of researchers at Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine and Harvard Medical School/Brigham and Women’s Hospital, published in the August issue of Health Affairs, show that a substantial portion—nearly half—of low-value care received by Medicare beneficiaries happens outside of their health systems.

The study also revealed that factors such as advanced age put beneficiaries at higher risk of receiving this type of care. Low-value care is defined as medical services that offer little or no benefit. For example, prostate cancer screening is considered low-value for men older than age 75 who have no history of prostate cancer.

Policy makers and payers are increasingly holding health systems accountable for the cost and quality...

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