Table 2.
Baseline Characteristics
| Medicare Parts A&B1 | Medicare Advantage1 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-G-code | Post G-code | Pre-G-code | Post G-code | |
| n = 88,994 | n = 85,258 | n = 16,751 | n = 16,778 | |
| Age - yr (SD) | 75.2 (6.5) | 75.5 (6.7) | 75.2 (6.4) | 75.6 (6.4) |
| Sex - % female | 50.3 | 52.2 | 53.9 | 54.9 |
| Race or ethnic group - % | ||||
| White | 71.8 | 73.7 | 72.9 | 71.9 |
| Black | 22.8 | 21.5 | 20.3 | 21.6 |
| Asian† | 1.8 | 2.2 | 3.5 | 3.9 |
| American Indian | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 0.2 |
| Other race2 | 2.8 | 1.8 | 3.1 | 2.4 |
| Hispanic ethnicity† | 8.7 | 8.8 | 12.7 | 14.4 |
| Socioeconomic - % | ||||
| Employed3 | 6.9 | 6.4 | 7.1 | 6.8 |
| Medicaid coverage† | 21.4 | 21.7 | 4.8* | 8.6* |
| Smoking history | 3.2 | 3.6 | 2.6 | 2.9 |
| Alcohol abuse | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.5 |
| Drug use | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| Comorbid conditions - % | ||||
| EPO prior to HD | 33.9 | 34.8 | 34.1 | 34.5 |
| Peripheral vascular disease | 18.7 | 19.2 | 15.6 | 16.3 |
| Hypertension | 81.3 | 84.0 | 80.2 | 83.1 |
| Cerebral vascular disease | 12.4 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 11.4 |
| Heart failure | 40.7 | 42.3 | 37.3 | 39.5 |
| Malignancy | 8.7 | 10.0 | 8.0 | 8.8 |
| Coronary disease | 37.9 | 34.8 | 34.6 | 31.4 |
| Immobile | 4.9 | 7.1 | 3.9* | 6.1* |
| Pulmonary disease | 10.9 | 12.4 | 9.1 | 10.0 |
| Diabetes | 51.3 | 52.3 | 49.7 | 52.4 |
| Weight - kg (SD) | 73.4 (18.1)* | 75.6 (19.0)* | 72.6 (17.3)* | 74.9 (18.8)* |
| Facility Characteristics | ||||
| Facility size - # of patients (SD)† | 90.5 (60.1) | 89.4 (57.4) | 104.2 (64.7) | 100.8 (63.6) |
| For profit - % | 73.4 | 76.1 | 76.7 | 78.6 |
| Hospital based - % | 18.6 | 16.0 | 15.3 | 13.4 |
≥ 10% standardized difference:
*
before and after G-codes;
†
Traditional Medicare vs. Medicare Advantage
1
Includes patient 65 and older with insurance upon initiation of hemodialysis
2
Pacific Islander, Mideast, Indian subcontinent, multiracial, and unknown