In this analysis of beneficiaries enrolled in an MMC plan, our objective was to evaluate whether the comorbidity index identified Medicaid beneficiaries who incurred high health care costs, controlling for other important contributors to costs in Medicaid patients, such as mental illness and pregnancy [ 8].
Third, we repeated the primary analysis excluding beneficiaries who initiated therapy using a brand antihypertensive medication versus a generic antihypertensive medication.
Lastly, we repeated the analysis removing beneficiaries prescribed loop diuretics during the baseline period since these medications may be a marker for overall worse health and greater risk of morality (Glynn et al. 2001).
Exclusions in the Medicare population analysis included beneficiaries who were disabled, institutionalized, eligible for Medicaid, or enrolled in a health maintenance organization.
Thirdly, because unmeasured characteristics may differ between people who do and do not use warfarin, we restricted our analysis to beneficiaries who used warfarin in at least one quarter.
First we present a qualitative analysis of beneficiary perspectives on the benefits and costs of the program.
In sensitivity analyses, results were similar when we 1) used an 'as-treated' analysis, 2) excluded beneficiaries with a previous diagnosis of chronic kidney disease or diabetes, and 3) excluded beneficiaries who initiated with brand antihypertensive drugs (Fig. 1, Additional file 1: Table S4).
Fourth, since chronic kidney disease and diabetes can impact physicians' choice of antihypertensive class prescribed, we repeated the analysis removing any beneficiaries with these chronic conditions.
► Analysis from the beneficiaries side.
A very low rate of stroke and thromboembolic events was found in this meta-analysis among patients treated with dabigatran (0.55%), similar to what has been found in a recent analysis of Medicare beneficiaries (0.6 0.9%).
