Table 1—
Summary Statistics (2004 Medicare Cohort)
| New Orleans (1) | Ten control cities (2) | New Orleans movers (3) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percent male | 43.0 | 41.9 | 41.4 |
| Percent black | 60.5 | 39.2 | 75.6 |
| Age | 70.1 | 71.0 | 67.2 |
| Percent 65+ | 77.7 | 81.2 | 69.5 |
| Percent 75+ | 40.7 | 42.2 | 32.9 |
| Income for 65+ year-olds in 9-digit zip | 28,230 | 30,962 | 25,005 |
| Percent below median income | 49.9 | 34.8 | 55.4 |
| Percent who experienced 2+ feet of flooding during Katrina | 56.5 | 0.0 | 67.1 |
| Percent enrolled in fee-for-service Medicare in 2004 | 68.6 | 92.5 | 69.7 |
| 2004 Medicare spending (fee-for-service only) | 10,460 | 9,640 | 8,857 |
| Percent with end-stage renal disease | 2.1 | 1.7 | 2.0 |
| Percent with blood and kidney disease | 46.2 | 52.7 | 43.6 |
| Percent with heart disease and stroke | 64.8 | 69.4 | 63.2 |
| Percent with diabetes | 27.4 | 28.5 | 28.9 |
| Percent with musculoskeletal condition | 28.6 | 30.4 | 27.0 |
| Percent with respiratory disease | 12.8 | 14.0 | 12.8 |
| Percent with cancer | 6.8 | 8.3 | 4.9 |
| Percent with Alzheimer’s / dementia | 12.4 | 12.6 | 8.5 |
| Percent with other chronic condition | 39.9 | 41.1 | 38.9 |
| Number of individuals | 65,457 | 941,685 | 26,467 |
Notes: The table summarizes baseline (2004) characteristics of the 2004 Medicare cohort. The unit of observation is a beneficiary. Income and flood variables are available only for individuals with valid nine-digit zip codes (57,314 New Orleans individuals, 23,295 New Orleans movers, and 847,509 individuals from the ten control cities). Medicare spending is available only for individuals enrolled in fee-for-service Medicare (44,913 New Orleans individuals, 18,695 New Orleans movers, and 871,007 individuals from the 10 control cities). Chronic condition variables are only available for beneficiaries who have been continuously enrolled in fee-for-service Medicare over a condition-specific look-back window, typically two years. Chronic conditions sample sizes range from 31,027 to 37,944 for New Orleans individuals, from 12,532 to 15,797 for New Orleans movers, and from 656,230 to 769,430 for individuals from the ten control cities.