Figure. Number of patients with COVID-19 (top) and costs per COVID-19–related hospitalization (bottom), by month.

Source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Medicare fee-for-service administrative claims data for April through December 2020. The International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision code U07.1 was used to identify COVID-19–related outpatient visits and hospitalizations, and the Medicare Severity Diagnosis Related Group codes 207 and 208 were used to identify hospitalized patients with COVID-19 who needed ventilator support. The analysis of the number of patients with COVID-19 included 1 181 127 patients who were aged ≥65 years; resided in any state or the District of Columbia; and had a COVID-19–related hospitalization or outpatient visit claim with a date of visit, in-hospital death, or hospital discharge during April through December 2020. The analysis of costs per COVID-19–related hospitalization included 268 706 hospitalizations.