[Health service use and age among the elderly]

The purpose of this study was to analyze differences in health service use among Japanese elderly by age group or by region through patient category, and to evaluate the impact of long-term elderly inpatient on the national health expenditure. We used a large scale data of 1993, based on medical fee claim records. Patient category was made by classifying elderly patients into 12 categories according to their annual inpatient, and outpatient days. Per capita health expenditure of the elderly changed according to age or region, and the main cause of this was the difference in percentage distribution of patient category, A typical example of those who use most of health services was the long-term inpatient, and both age difference and regional differences in per capita health expenditure of the elderly reduced remarkably by excluding such expenditure. Therefore, the impact of long-term elderly inpatient on the national health expenditure was already significant. In considering the effective use of health expenditure for the elderly, it is necessary to focus on those who use health service heavily, but at the same time it is also necessary to keep the entire patient population in mine.