This study updates ASPE’s previous analysis of the associations between COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths among Medicare beneficiaries and COVID-19 vaccination rates, with full year data through the end of 2021. The study uses a combination of person-level Medicare claims and county-level vaccination data to estimate reductions in COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths among Medicare beneficiaries associated with COVID-19 vaccinations in 2021. We find that vaccines were associated with 670,000-680,000 fewer hospitalizations and 330,000-370,000 fewer deaths among Medicare beneficiaries in 2021, with the largest reductions during the summer Delta surge. This represents a 39–47 percent reduction in these outcomes. Reductions in hospitalization and deaths linked to vaccination rates occurred in all racial and ethnic groups and in all 50 states.
Related Products:
- Associations between County-level Vaccination Rates and COVID-19 Outcomes Among Medicare Beneficiaries in Early 2021
- Hospitalization Cost Savings Associated with COVID-19 Vaccinations Among Medicare Beneficiaries in Early 2021
- COVID-19 Vaccination Associated with Reductions in COVID-19 Mortality and Morbidity in the United States, and an Approach to Valuing these Benefits
- Risk of COVID-19 Infections, Hospitalization, and Death in Fee-For-Service Medicare
- The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Medicare Beneficiary Utilization and Provider Payments: Fee-For-Service (FFS) Data for 2020