South Florida Medicare patients score top in nation for some diseases

 Brian Bandell

Senior Reporter-South Florida Business Journal

Medicare beneficiaries in South Florida are among the most chronic disease-plagued in the nation, especially in Miami-Dade County, according to the federal government.

New data from the Department of Health and Human Services separated out chronic disease diagnoses among Medicare recipients by county, including the percentage of beneficiaries in each county with each disease. The data from 2011 showed that life isn't always sunny in the Sunshine state, at least from a hospital bed.

For Medicare beneficiaries in Miami-Dade, compared to the national average, they were:

• 95 percent more likely to get Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders, second worst in the entire nation and worst among metro areas.
• 91 percent more likely to have osteoporosis, second worst among metro areas.
• 85 percent more likely to be diagnosed with depression, worst in the entire nation.
• 64 percent more likely to have ischemic heart disease, worst among metro areas and seventh worst in the entire nation.
• 62 percent more likely to get arthritis, fifth worst among metro areas.
• 60 percent more likely to have asthma, second worst among metro areas.
• 53 percent more likely to contract chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, worst among metro areas.
• 49 percent more likely to have a stroke, second worst among metro areas.
• 39 percent more likely to get diabetes, third worst among metro areas.
• 20 percent more likely to get a heart attack, second worst among metro areas.
• 20 percent more likely to have hypertension, worst among metro areas.

So much for the image of Miami as a happy, healthy retirement playground. It sounds more like a sick ward.

It seems strange that Miami-Dade Medicare beneficiaries lead the nation in depression, but Broward and Palm Beach counties are slightly above average. Could there be a swoon of depression when seniors cross the county lines south? I’m sure it has nothing to do with the fact that Florida leads the nation in fraudulent mental health billing to Medicare.

No wonder Miami-Dade leads the nation in Medicare spending per capita.

That doesn’t mean there aren’t problems in the neighboring counties. In Broward, Medicare beneficiaries compared to the national average were:

• 50 percent more likely to have osteoporosis.
• 34 percent more likely to have ischemic heart disease, 10th worst among metro areas.
• 28 percent more likely to have chronic kidney disease, seventh worst among metro areas.
• 27 percent more likely to get breast cancer.
• 27 percent more likely to get prostate cancer.
• 26 percent more likely to have a stroke.
• 24 percent more likely to have Alzheimer’s and related disorders.
• 22 percent more likely to get colorectal cancer.
• 21 percent more likely to get lung cancer.
• 21 percent more likely to have atrial fibrillation (abnormal heart rhythm).
• 20 percent more likely to have high cholesterol.

Palm Beach County is well known for its luxury senior centers, but it’s not so healthy either, especially when it comes to cancer cases. Compared to the national average, its Medicare beneficiaries were:

• 77 percent more likely to have osteoporosis, fourth worst among metro areas.
• 61 percent more likely to get breast cancer, worst among metro areas.
• 55 percent more likely to have atrial fibrillation., worst among metro areas.
• 52 percent more likely to have ischemic heart disease, third worst among metro areas.
• 46 percent more likely to get lung cancer, second worst among metro areas.
• 40 percent more likely to get prostate cancer, sixth worst among metro areas.
• 36 percent more likely to have high cholesterol, fourth worst among metro areas.
• 25 percent more likely to have arthritis, seventh worst among metro areas.
• 22 percent more likely to have a stroke.

However, Palm Beach Medicare beneficiaries had fewer heart attacks and less chronic obstructive pulmonary disease than the national average.

There are a couple of findings throughout Florida that also were sadly surprising. Lake County Medicare beneficiaries had the greatest percentage of high cholesterol in the nation (53 percent above average), with Marion County third and Charlotte County fourth. What are seniors eating over there?

Florida was the second worst state, after Delaware, for the percentage of Medicare beneficiaries with high cholesterol.

Florida was the worst state for Medicare beneficiaries with prostate cancer, at 35 percent above the national average. Collier County was worst in the nation at a startling 108 percent above average.

Florida was the worst state for ischemic heart disease in Medicare beneficiaries, at 29 percent above the national average. It was also the worst state for arthritis, at 15 percent above average.

Despite Florida’s reputation as a clear air state, it was second worst for lung cancer cases among Medicare beneficiaries at 23 percent above the national average. Only Kentucky had more.

Orange County had the highest percentage of chronic kidney disease for Medicare recipients among metro areas, 32 percent higher than the national average. Florida was the second-worst state, behind Georgia.

Florida was also second worst (behind Hawaii) for osteoporosis, at 33 percent above average. So many seniors may be too brittle to hit the tennis courts.

I guess the only silver lining here is that at least there will be plenty of demand for jobs in Florida's health care sector.

Brian Bandell covers banking, finance, health care and education. Get the latest banking industry news here.