To determine dementia prevalence and costs attributable to dementia using Veterans Health Administration () data with and without Medicare data.
inpatient, outpatient, purchased care and other data and Medicare enrollment, claims, and assessments in fiscal year () 2013.
Analyses were conducted with data alone and with combined and Medicare data. Dementia was identified from a sanctioned list of ‐9 diagnoses. Attributable cost of dementia was estimated using recycled predictions.
Veterans age 65 and older who used and were enrolled in Traditional Medicare in 2013 (1.9 million).
records indicated the prevalence of dementia in 2013 was 4.8 percent while combined and Medicare data indicated the prevalence was 7.4 percent. Attributable cost of dementia to was, on average, $10,950 per veteran per year (pvpy) using alone and $6,662 pvpy using combined and Medicare data. Combined and Medicare attributable cost of dementia was $11,285 pvpy. Utilization attributed to dementia using data alone was lower for long‐term institutionalization and higher for supportive care services than indicated in combined and Medicare data.
Better planning for clinical and cost‐efficient care requires and Medicare to share data for veterans with dementia and likely more generally.
