Risk for increased utilization and adverse health outcomes among men served by the Veterans Health Administration

Using data from a nationally representative survey, we evaluated the prevalence of multiple risk factors known to predict increased health care utilization and adverse health outcomes, comparing U.S. men who rely solely on the Veterans Affairs Health Administration (VA) for health care to men in the general population. Adjusting for age and race, men who only use the VA were significantly more likely to have multiple socioeconomic and lifestyle risk factors including current smoking. Their self-reported health status was more often fair or poor and they were more likely to report the presence of multiple chronic diseases ranging from arthritis to previous heart attack to poor mental health. Although the finding that VA-only users are at elevated health risk was anticipated, our study now provides nationally representative estimates of the magnitude of these differences and reinforces the importance of accounting for them when making VA to non-VA comparisons.