TY - JOUR
T1 - VA health care utilization and costs among male and female veterans in the year after service in Afghanistan and Iraq
AU - Leslie, Douglas L.
AU - Goulet, Joseph
AU - Skanderson, Melissa
AU - Mattocks, Kristin
AU - Haskell, Sally
AU - Brandt, Cynthia
PY - 2011/3
Y1 - 2011/3
N2 - The objective of this study was to compare the 1-year VA health care service use and costs between male and female Veterans returning from deployment in Afghanistan and Iraq.Using VA administrative data, measures of health care service use and costs were computedfor male and female veterans in the year after last deployment. Service use and cost measures included inpatient care, outpatient care, prescription drugs, and fee basis care. Unadjusted differences by gender were evaluated using chi-square and t -tests, and differences adjusted for age, race/ethnicity, education, branch of service, rank, and service-connected status were evaluated using generalized linear models with log links. Study findings indicated that although unadjusted total costs were higher for males than females, this difference did not remain after adjusting for covariates. However, adjusted inpatient costs were lower for women compared to those for men, and outpatient and pharmacy costswere higher.
AB - The objective of this study was to compare the 1-year VA health care service use and costs between male and female Veterans returning from deployment in Afghanistan and Iraq.Using VA administrative data, measures of health care service use and costs were computedfor male and female veterans in the year after last deployment. Service use and cost measures included inpatient care, outpatient care, prescription drugs, and fee basis care. Unadjusted differences by gender were evaluated using chi-square and t -tests, and differences adjusted for age, race/ethnicity, education, branch of service, rank, and service-connected status were evaluated using generalized linear models with log links. Study findings indicated that although unadjusted total costs were higher for males than females, this difference did not remain after adjusting for covariates. However, adjusted inpatient costs were lower for women compared to those for men, and outpatient and pharmacy costswere higher.
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U2 - 10.7205/MILMED-D-10-00142
DO - 10.7205/MILMED-D-10-00142
M3 - Article
C2 - 21456351
AN - SCOPUS:79952351201
SN - 0026-4075
VL - 176
SP - 265
EP - 269
JO - Military medicine
JF - Military medicine
IS - 3
ER -