LAUSR

Multimorbidity (≥2 chronic conditions) is a common and important marker of aging. To better understand racial differences in multimorbidity burden and associations with important health-related outcomes, we assessed differences in the contribution of chronic conditions to hospitalization, skilled nursing facility admission, and mortality in non-Hispanic Black and non-Hispanic White older adults in the United States. We used data from the nationally representative National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) linked to Medicare claims from 2011-2015 (n = 4,871 respondents). This analysis improves prior research by identifying the absolute contributions of chronic conditions using a longitudinal average attributable fraction for Black and White Medicare beneficiaries. We found cardiovascular conditions were the greatest contributors to outcomes among White respondents, while the greatest contributor to outcomes for Black respondents was renal morbidity. This study provides important insights into racial differences in chronic condition contributions to costly healthcare utilization and mortality, and prompts policymakers to champion delivery reforms that will expand access to preventive and ongoing care for diverse Medicare beneficiaries.