Health Affairs

Health Affairs, 26, no. 4 (2007): 1111-1117 doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.26.4.1111 © 2007 by Project HOPE	New Online   Getting Health Reform Done   After the State of the Union   Incremental Reform   E-Health in Developing World   Most-Read Articles in 2009

This Article Full Text (HTML) Reprint (PDF) Technical Appendix Submit a response to this article Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when Comments are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services E-mail this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to My Personal Archive Download to Citation Manager Reprints & Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Web of Science (2) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Doshi, J. A. Articles by Chang, V. W. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Doshi, J. A. Articles by Chang, V. W. Related Collections Access To Care Health Promotion/Disease Prevention Medicare Health Spending Consumer Issues

Health Tracking

TRENDS

Prevalence And Trends In Obesity Among Aged And Disabled U.S. Medicare Beneficiaries, 1997–2002

Jalpa A. Doshi, Daniel Polsky and Virginia W. Chang

Given Medicare’s recent national coverage decision on bariatric surgery, as well as potential coverage expansions for other obesity-related treatments, data on obesity in the Medicare population have great relevance. Using nationally representative data, we estimate that between 1997 and 2002, the prevalence of obesity in the Medicare population increased by 5.6 percentage points, or about 2.7 million beneficiaries. By 2002, 21.4 percent of aged beneficiaries and 39.3 percent of disabled beneficiaries were obese, compared with 16.4 percent and 32.5 percent, respectively, in 1997. Using 2002 data, we estimate that three million beneficiaries would be eligible for bariatric surgery coverage under current Medicare policy.

                      What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				T. E. Seeman, S. S. Merkin, E. M. Crimmins, and A. S. Karlamangla Disability Trends Among Older Americans: National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, 1988-1994 and 1999-2004 Am J Public Health, January 1, 2010; 100(1): 100 - 107. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				WRITING GROUP MEMBERS, D. Lloyd-Jones, R. Adams, M. Carnethon, G. De Simone, T. B. Ferguson, K. Flegal, E. Ford, K. Furie, A. Go, et al. Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics--2009 Update: A Report From the American Heart Association Statistics Committee and Stroke Statistics Subcommittee Circulation, January 27, 2009; 119(3): e21 - e181. [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. O'Kane, J. Corrigan, S. M. Foote, S. R. Tunis, G. J. Isham, L. M. Nichols, E. S. Fisher, J. C. Ebeler, J. A. Block, B. E. Bradley, et al. Crossroads In Quality Health Aff., May 1, 2008; 27(3): 749 - 758. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				Writing Group Members, W. Rosamond, K. Flegal, K. Furie, A. Go, K. Greenlund, N. Haase, S. M. Hailpern, M. Ho, V. Howard, et al. Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics--2008 Update: A Report From the American Heart Association Statistics Committee and Stroke Statistics Subcommittee Circulation, January 29, 2008; 117(4): e25 - e146. [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. E. Alley and V. W. Chang The Changing Relationship of Obesity and Disability, 1988-2004 JAMA, November 7, 2007; 298(17): 2020 - 2027. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]