Costs and healthcare resource utilization after COVID-19 hospitalization among US Medicare patients: a retrospective claims analysis

AIMS: The objective of this study was to quantify all-cause direct healthcare costs and healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) in the six months before and after COVID-19-associated hospitalization among Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) beneficiaries during the recent Omicron period (March 2023-March 2025). METHODS: This retrospective observational study used 100% Medicare FFS claims data. Beneficiaries aged ≥65 years with a COVID-19 hospitalization between September 2023 and September 2024 and continuous enrollment for six months pre-admission and post-discharge were included. A within-group pre/post design compared mean cumulative per-patient healthcare costs and HCRU during the six-month pre-admission and post-discharge periods, excluding index hospitalization costs. Outcomes were stratified by hospitalization severity and post-discharge care setting. RESULTS: < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: COVID-19 hospitalization among Medicare FFS beneficiaries is associated with substantial increases in post-discharge healthcare costs and utilization, particularly among patients with greater severity and post-acute care needs. These findings highlight the sustained economic burden of COVID-19 in older adults and underscore the need for targeted post-discharge care strategies.