Medicare: Not seeing doctor costs more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 25 (UPI) -- Medicare beneficiaries with chronic diseases, who do not visit the doctor much cost more money because of emergency room visits, U.S. researchers found.

The research spearheaded by the National Minority Quality Forum analyzed Medicare data over a six-year period.

The study found that Medicare beneficiaries may be clustered into five consumption groups -- crisis consumers, heavy consumers, moderate consumers, light consumers and low consumers -- based on how much Medicare reimburses for services provided to beneficiaries in any year. The two most-costly clusters are crisis consumers and heavy consumers -- representing only 11 percent of Medicare beneficiaries, but 65 percent of all costs.

These are dynamic clusters as consumption patterns among beneficiaries can significantly vary from one year to the next. Beneficiaries who are low consumers one year may become heavy consumers the next sparked by a critical and often costly health event, the study said.

"If we can identify these patients, who are under-managing their chronic condition putting them at high-risk for disease complications, we can intervene to help these individuals manage their disease more effectively, and, ultimately, reduce overall health care costs," Gary Puckrein, president of the National Minority Quality Forum, said in a statement.