%0 Journal Article %J J Aging Health %D 2016 %T Age Differences in the Association Between Body Mass Index Class and Annualized Medicare Expenditures. %A Daniel O. Clark %A Kathleen A Lane %A Ambuehl, Roberta %A Tu, Wanzhu %A Chiung-Ju Liu %A Kathleen T. Unroe %A Christopher M. Callahan %K Age Factors %K Aged %K Body Mass Index %K Female %K Health Expenditures %K Humans %K Male %K Medicare %K Obesity %K United States %X

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study is to assess the relationship between body mass index (BMI) class and Medicare claims among young-old (65-69), old (70-74), and old-old (75+) adults over a 10-year period.

METHOD: We assessed costs by BMI class and age group among 9,300 respondents to the 1998 Health and Retirement Study (HRS) with linked 1998-2008 Medicare claims data. BMI was classified as normal (18.5-24.9), overweight (25-29.9), mild obesity (30-34.9), or severe obesity (35 or above).

RESULTS: Annualized total Medicare claims adjusted for age, gender, ethnicity, education, and smoking history were 109% greater for severely obese young-old adults in comparison with normal weight young-old adults (US$9,751 vs. US$4,663). Total annualized claim differences between the normal weight and severely obese in the old and old-old groups were not statistically significant.

DISCUSSION: Excess Medicare expenditures related to obesity may be concentrated among severely obese young-old adults. Preventing severe obesity among middle and older aged adults may have large cost implications for society.

%B J Aging Health %I 28 %V 28 %P 165-79 %8 2016 Feb %G eng %U http://jah.sagepub.com/content/28/1/165 %N 1 %1 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26112066?dopt=Abstract %2 PMC4691214 %R 10.1177/0898264315589574