Cohort study
Hospitalizations and Mortality Among Medicare Beneficiaries at Cardiovascular Risk
- Retrospective cohort study
Authors' conclusion
In the later stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, among Medicare beneficiaries with CV risk factors or established CVD, hospitalizations were lower than before the pandemic, outpatient care was used more frequently, and mortality was significantly elevated across risk groups and geographies, with the greatest increases seen in vulnerable communities and those covered by Medicare Advantage.
Study context
- Population
- Medicare fee-for-service and Medicare Advantage beneficiaries with cardiovascular (CV) risk factors (hypertension, DM, hyperlipidemia) or cardiovascular disease (CVD) (CHD, HF, AF, stroke), 2018–2022
- Participants
- 55,214,638 vs 51,355,577
- Exposure
- Late pandemic vs prepandemic period
- Late pandemicn = 55,214,638
- Prepandemicn = 51,355,577reference
- Outcome
- Acute care visits, outpatient visits and all-cause mortality (aIRR)
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Adjusted incidence rate ratio (aIRR)
- hospital visits
- 0.918 (95% CI 0.915–0.922)
- outpatient visits
- 1.141 (95% CI 1.134–1.149)
- all-cause mortality
- 1.248 (95% CI 1.240–1.257)
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
| Outcome | aIRR (95% CI) |
|---|---|
| All-cause mortality, most socially vulnerable communities (subgroup) | 1.116 (1.106–1.124) |
| All-cause mortality, Medicare Advantage (subgroup) | 1.342 (1.329–1.356) |
Original publication
Hospitalizations and Mortality Among Medicare Beneficiaries at Cardiovascular Risk. J Am Coll Cardiol. Published 21 January 2026. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2025.11.033
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it