Table 1.
Characteristics of the Study Sample (N=3,101)
| Characteristics | Percent/Number (SD) |
|---|---|
| Dependent variables | |
| Hospitalized (%) | 20.1 |
| Hospital expense for the sample as a whole (mean/SD) | $2,097 (6,682) |
| Hospital expense for those hospitalized (mean/SD) | $10,425 (11,628) |
| Independent variables | |
| Prescription fills (mean/SD) | 30.1 (27.3) |
| Medicare entitlement status (%) | |
| Aged/no prior disability | 76.8 |
| SSDI disabled (<65) | 16.2 |
| Aged/previously disabled (>65) | 7.0 |
| Age (%) | |
| 65–69 | 12.2 |
| 70–74 | 24.3 |
| 75–79 | 18.8 |
| 80+ | 28.4 |
| Female (%) | 57.1 |
| Marital status (%) | |
| Married | 48.3 |
| Single/widowed/divorced/separated | 51.7 |
| Educational attainment (%) | |
| <High school graduate | 35.7 |
| High school graduate | 64.3 |
| Urban residence (%) | 72.2 |
| Census region (%) | |
| Northeast | 20.5 |
| Midwest | 21.3 |
| South | 40.6 |
| West | 17.6 |
| Annual income (%) | |
| ≤$10,000 | 26.9 |
| $10,001–$20,000 | 26.3 |
| $20,001–$30,000 | 19.9 |
| >$30,000 | 26.9 |
| DCG/HCC risk adjuster | |
| Ybase (mean/SD) | $5,925 (4,911) |
| Instrumental variable | |
| Drug coverage | 77.4 |
Source: 1999 and 2000 MCBS.