Background: Risk for COVID-19 hospitalizations increases with increasing age and presence of underlying medical conditions. However, the burden has not been well-assessed in metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas by race/ethnicity among Medicare population with chronic conditions.
Methods: We used the 2020 Medicare data to estimate COVID-19 hospitalization rates by race/ethnicity among Medicare beneficiaries for COVID-19 by metropolitan status and to assess the association of hospitalizations from COVID-19 with each of selected 29 chronic conditions for patients by metropolitan status and by race/ethnicity.
Results: The COVID-19 hospitalization rate was higher among beneficiaries residing in nonmetropolitan counties than those residing in metropolitan counties in 2020. Approximately 1 in 2 AI/AN, 1 in 3 NHB, Hispanic and A/PI, and 1 in 4 NHW beneficiaries with COVID-19 residing in nonmetropolitan counties were hospitalized. Beneficiaries with COVID-19 and chronic conditions were more likely to be hospitalized compared with those without chronic conditions.
Conclusions: Hospitalization rates among beneficiaries with COVID-19 and chronic conditions were not distributed equally by race/ethnicity and by metropolitan status. Researchers, policymakers and practitioners can use these findings to explore more effective ways of reducing racial/ethnic and geographic disparities among minorities disproportionately affected by COVID-19 and are at highest risk of hospitalization.
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http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8980106 | PMC |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/pubmed/fdab355 | DOI Listing |
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