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Inpatient and Postacute Care After Head and Neck Surgery Among Beneficiaries
Mengda Yu1, Joshua Brown2, Songzhu Zhao1
1Center for Biostatistics, Department of Biomedical Informatics, College of Medicine The Ohio State University Columbus Ohio USA.
Laryngoscope Investigative Otolaryngology
|August 5, 2026
Summary
Medicare Advantage (MA) and traditional fee-for-service (FFS) plans showed similar inpatient resource use for head and neck cancer (HNC) surgery. Differences in procedure types were observed, but not linked to access barriers.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Health Services Research
- Surgical Outcomes
Background:
- Medicare Advantage (MA) enrollment is increasing, but its impact on resource utilization for complex head and neck cancer (HNC) surgery is not well understood.
- Understanding resource use is critical for evaluating healthcare delivery models in oncology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare short-term inpatient resource utilization for head and neck cancer (HNC) surgery between Medicare Advantage (MA) and traditional fee-for-service (FFS) beneficiaries.
- To investigate potential differences in surgical complexity and discharge destinations based on insurance type.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 4618 adult HNC surgery admissions (2309 MA, 2309 FFS) from 2019-2023 Medicare data was analyzed.
- Propensity score matching balanced groups on demographics, comorbidities, and diagnosis.
- Length of stay (LOS) and discharge destination were compared using regression models.
Main Results:
- Mean length of stay (LOS) was similar between MA and FFS patients (7.1 vs. 7.3 days).
- Discharge destination distributions did not significantly differ between MA and FFS enrollees.
- MA admissions showed lower frequencies of complex procedures like reconstructive surgery and laryngectomy, but this was not associated with LOS or discharge in adjusted models.
Conclusions:
- Short-term inpatient resource utilization for HNC surgery is comparable between MA and FFS beneficiaries.
- Observed differences in procedure types may reflect variations in case mix or operative selection rather than access limitations.
- Further research integrating claims with tumor registry and hospital data is necessary to fully elucidate these patterns.
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