Seniors’ Unmet Social Needs Drive Greater Acute Care Utilization

Health-related social needs (HRSNs) can increase acute care utilization among Medicare Advantage members — including avoidable hospital stays and emergency department (ED) visits — asserts a July 8 investigation published in the Journal of the American Medical Association’s Health Forum. Researchers studied a group of about 56,000 older adults enrolled in MA plans offered by Humana Inc., and found that HRSNs, such as housing, utility and food insecurity, limited access to transportation, and financial difficulties, were associated with significantly higher acute care usage. Notably, 13.6% of the selected population were Medicare-Medicaid dual eligibles, a particularly vulnerable cohort.

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