Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33634467›Full record

Observational studyHealth services research2021

Inequities in access to VA'S aid and attendance enhanced pension benefit to help Veterans pay for long-term care.

Kali S Thomas, Emily Corneau, Courtney H Van Houtven, Portia Cornell, David Aron, David M Dosa, Susan M Allen

Open access · greenAbstract readObservational Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in Health services research, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
1.2field-weighted citation impact, top 14% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 4 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Observational
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.

Kali S ThomasProvidence VA Medical Center, Providence, Rhode Island, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-3436-2184
Emily CorneauProvidence VA Medical Center, Providence, Rhode Island, USA.
Courtney H Van HoutvenDurham VA Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-0783-1611
Portia CornellProvidence VA Medical Center, Providence, Rhode Island, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-3608-2186
David AronLouis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
David M DosaProvidence VA Medical Center, Providence, Rhode Island, USA.
Susan M AllenSchool of Public Health, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA.
Brown University · USDuke University · USLouis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center · USProvidence VA Medical Center · US

Funding

Evaluating Cash Benefit Programs for Veterans' Long Term CareIK2HX001775 · VA · PROVIDENCE VA MEDICAL CENTER · PI THOMAS, KALI ST. MARIE · 2020 to 2021
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HSRD VA IK2 HX001775
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo examine characteristics that are associated with receipt of Aid and Attendance (A&A), an enhanced pension benefit for Veterans who qualify on the basis of needing daily assistance, among Veterans who receive pensions. DATA SOURCES: Secondary data analysis of 2016-2017 national VA administrative data linked with Medicare claims. STUDY

designObservational study examining sociodemographic, medical, and healthcare utilization characteristics associated with receipt of A&A among Veterans receiving pension. PRINCIPAL

findingsIn 2017, 9.7% of Veterans with pension newly received the A&A benefit. The probability of receiving A&A among black and Hispanic pensioners was 4.6 percentage points lower than for white pensioners (95%CI = -0.051, -0.042). Married Veterans receiving pension had a 4.4-percentage point higher probability of receiving A&A (95%CI = 0.039, 0.048). Most indicators of need for assistance (eg, home health utilization, dementia, stroke) were associated with significantly higher probabilities of receiving A&A, with notable exceptions: pensioners with a diagnosis of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (marginal effect = -0.029 95%CI = -0.037, -0.021) or enrolled in Medicaid (marginal effect = -0.053, 95%CI = -0.057, -0.050) had lower probabilities of receiving A&A. Unadjusted and adjusted rates of receiving A&A among Veterans receiving pension varied by VA medical center.

conclusionsThis study identified potential inequities in receipt of the A&A enhanced pension among a sample of Veterans receiving pension. Increased Veteran outreach, provider education, and VA office coordination can potentially reduce inequities in access to this benefit.

Indexed as

Age FactorsHealth ServicesHealth StatusHumansLong-Term CareMedicarePatient Acceptance of Health CarePensionsSocioeconomic FactorsUnited StatesUnited States Department of Veterans AffairsVeteransbenefitsdisabilitylong-term carelow incomeolder adultsocial welfare programVeterans

Identifiers

PMID33634467
PMCPMC8143693
OpenAlexW3130278530

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.