Arthritis and rheumatism
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Arthritis and rheumatism · Dec 2009
Joint replacement surgeries among medicare beneficiaries in rural compared with urban areas.
People in rural areas live farther away from hospitals than do people in urban areas. Thus, there is concern that people living in rural areas may be less willing or able to undergo elective surgical procedures. This study was undertaken to determine whether Medicare beneficiaries in rural areas were less likely to have elective total knee or hip replacement surgeries compared with their urban counterparts. ⋯ Contrary to expectations, our findings indicate that Medicare beneficiaries living in rural areas are more likely to undergo total knee or hip replacement surgeries.
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Arthritis and rheumatism · Dec 2009
Insurer and out-of-pocket costs of osteoarthritis in the US: evidence from national survey data.
Osteoarthritis (OA) is a major debilitating disease affecting approximately 27 million persons in the US. Yet, the financial costs to patients and insurers remain poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to quantify by multivariate analyses the relationships between OA and annual health care expenditures borne by patients and insurers. ⋯ The health care cost burden associated with OA is quite large for all groups examined and is disproportionately higher for women. Although insurers bear the brunt of treatment costs for OA, the OOP costs are also substantial.