Why veterans choose Veterans Administration hospitalization: A multivariate model

Data from a national survey of veterans are analyzed to determine how age, income, health insurance and service-connected disability influence the veteran's choice of Veterans Administration (VA) hospitalization. Log-linear analysis is used to provide a model that expresses in numerically quantifiable terms (odds and odds ratios) the effects of these factors on the choice of VA hospitalization. Moreover, the multivariate nature of the analysis provides the opportunity for assessing the magnitude of these effect simultaneously in the presence of all other effects. The final model shows that age and health insurance act independently of each other and of all other factors. The effect of income is modified by service-connected disability status and vice versa; this interaction of two factors is probably due to VA hospital care eligibility criteria. Overall, the single most important factor affecting a veteran's choice of hospitalization is health insurance; veterans without health insurance have nearly five times greater odds of going to VA hospitals than do those with health insurance-regardless of age, income or service-connected disability status.