New Maryland Medicare-Medicaid Enrollees with Mental Health Conditions: Prior Medicare and Medicaid Resource Use

Abstract

The incidence of mental health disorders co-occurring with chronic somatic health conditions is gaining attention. This combination can pose significant burdens to health care system resources to provide for complex care needs. In this analysis, the prevalence of co-occurring mental health disorders amongst Maryland’s new dual eligible enrollees during 2008 and their subsequent Medicare and Medicaid resource use is explored using the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Chronic Condition Data Warehouse. Mental health conditions were identified in over a third of all new duals in the study population. The most prevalent mental health condition was depression, which affected 24.4 percent of the total study population and 65.0 percent of the subset with a mental health diagnosis. Among those with a mental health condition, 27.6 percent had more than one co-occurrence with another mental health condition. The average Medicaid-first new enrollee with at least one mental health condition cost 15 percent more than the average enrollee without a mental health condition, while Medicare-first enrollees with at least one mental health condition cost 75 percent more than the average enrollee without a mental health condition. These findings establish the scope of the prevalence of mental health conditions among new dual eligible enrollees in Maryland and highlight the need for greater attention and research into this population.