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Hospital Admission May Raise Health Care Spending in Dementia

Quasi-experimental analysis of nearly 900,000 emergency department visits found no evidence of lower mortality among admitted patients.

  • By

  • Andrea Surnit

  • June 9, 2026

  • 3 min

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  • 1

    Hospital admissions after emergency visits for dementia patients do not improve mortality rates.

  • 2

    The study analyzed 872,085 emergency department visits among Medicare beneficiaries aged 66 and older with dementia.

  • 3

    Hospital admissions increased health care spending by approximately $2,500 within 30 days and $4,000 within 90 days.

  • 4

    There was substantial variation in hospital admission practices among emergency physicians treating dementia patients.

  • 5

    The findings suggest that many hospital admissions for dementia patients may offer little value and warrant further research.

Original Source(s)

Hospital Admission May Raise Health Care Spending in Dementia

  • by Andrea Surnit

  • June 9, 2026

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