Studies from Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center Have Provided New Information about Managed Care (Effects of Functional Impairments and Frailty on the Association of Cognitive Impairment with Total Healthcare Costs: A Prospective …): Managed Care

2025 DEC 18 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- Current study results on Managed Care have been published. According to news reporting originating in Minneapolis, Minnesota, by NewsRx journalists, research stated, “Cognitive impairment is associated with higher total healthcare costs (THC) after accounting for demographic factors and comorbidity burden. Determine the proportion of incremental THC associated with cognitive impairment that is accounted for by functional impairments and frailty.”

Financial support for this research came from National Institute on Aging.

The news reporters obtained a quote from the research from Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, “Four prospective cohort studies of community-dwelling older adults are linked with each other and Medicare claims. Eight thousand one hundred sixty-five community-dwelling, fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries (mean age 79 years, 53% women, 79% non-Hispanic White). Cognitive impairment was defined by either abnormal cognitive tests or self-or-proxy report of a clinician diagnosis of dementia. Comorbidity was the count of claims-based chronic conditions. Functional impairments were self-reported difficulty performing four activities of daily living. Frailty was defined by the Cardiovascular Health Study phenotype or a claims-based deficit accumulation index (CFI). Annualized THC were ascertained for 36 months following an index exam. Incremental THC of cognitive impairment were mean THC in women (men) with cognitive impairment minus the mean THC in women (men) without cognitive impairment. Incremental THC of cognitive impairment after adjustment for age, race, geographic region, and comorbidities was $6883 (95% CI, 3461-10,305) in women and $7276 (3298-11,254) in men. A substantial proportion of incremental THC of cognitive impairment were attributable to functional impairment, phenotypic frailty, or CFI individually (range 31.1-40.2% in women and 27.6-40.1% in men), while the combination of these three domains accounted for the majority of incremental THC (63.4% in women and 58.2% in men). For both women and men, after accounting for demographics and comorbidity, approximately 60% of incremental THC associated with cognitive impairment was attributable to functional impairments and frailty.”

According to the news reporters, the research concluded: “Investigation is warranted to determine if addressing these geriatric syndromes will mitigate their impact on THC among community-dwelling older adults with cognitive impairment.”

This research has been peer-reviewed.

For more information on this research see: Effects of Functional Impairments and Frailty on the Association of Cognitive Impairment with Total Healthcare Costs: A Prospective Multi-cohort Study. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 2025. Journal of General Internal Medicine can be contacted at: Springer, One New York Plaza, Suite 4600, New York, Ny, United States. (Wiley-Blackwell - http://www.wiley.com/; Journal of General Internal Medicine - http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1525-1497)

Our news correspondents report that additional information may be obtained by contacting Howard A. Fink, Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, Veterans Affairs Health Care System, Minneapolis, MN, United States. Additional authors for this research include Kerry M. Sheets, Lisa Langsetmo, John T. Schousboe, Allyson M. Kats and Kristine E. Ensrud.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-025-10073-z. This DOI is a link to an online electronic document that is either free or for purchase, and can be your direct source for a journal article and its citation.

The publisher of the Journal of General Internal Medicine can be contacted at: Springer, One New York Plaza, Suite 4600, New York, Ny, United States.

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