By: Drugs.com Headline News
Source: Drugs.com Headline News
Disability-eligible Medicare beneficiaries have higher COVID-19 incidence and hospitalization rates compared with beneficiaries who are eligible based on age, according to research published in the June 17 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
In both disability- and age-eligible patients, COVID-19 incidence and hospitalization rates increased with age.
The highest disability-eligible and age-eligible hospitalization rates were seen for American Indian or Alaska Native persons (4,962 and 5,024 per 100,000, respectively).
Hospitalization rates were higher for disability-eligible versus age-eligible patients among all other racial and ethnic groups.
“Continuing COVID-19 prevention efforts and focused messaging to persons with disabilities remain high-impact public health priorities,” the authors write”Although progress has been made, more work remains to be done to prioritize persons with disabilities in public health programs, data systems, and preparedness and response activities at the federal, state, and local levels.”
COVID-19 Cases and Hospitalizations Among Medicare Beneficiaries With and Without Disabilities — United States, January 1, 2020–November 20, 2021
Weekly / June 17, 2022 / 71(24);791–796
Yan Yuan, MS1; JoAnn M. Thierry, PhD2; Lara Bull-Otterson, PhD1,3; Marshalyn Yeargin-Allsopp, MD2; Kristie E.N. Clark, MD3; Catherine Rice, PhD2; Matthew Ritchey, DPT1,3; A. Blythe Ryerson, PhD2 (View author affiliations)
Summary
What is already known about this topic?
Persons with disabilities are at high risk for severe outcomes from COVID-19, including death.
What is added by this report?
COVID-19–associated hospitalization rates among disability-eligible Medicare beneficiaries (3,148 per 100,000) were approximately 50% higher than rates among age-eligible (i.e., ≥65 years) beneficiaries (2,129 per 100,000), and hospitalization rates increased by age in both groups. Among persons with disabilities, American Indian or Alaska Native persons experienced the highest rate of COVID-19–associated hospitalization (4,962 per 100,000).
What are the implications for public health practice?
Efforts to increase access to and implementation of COVID-19 prevention and treatment strategies, including vaccination, are critical to reducing severe COVID-19–associated outcomes among persons with disabilities.
