Feature

BP screening nearly universal among Medicare enrollees


 

Almost all of Medicare’s 58 million enrollees had a blood pressure screening in 2017, and just under 90% saw a physician during the year, according to new data released by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

Use of various services by Medicare enrollees, 2017

The latest edition of Medicare Beneficiaries at a Glance takes a look at some of the services provided in 2017, and BP checks were high on the list, with 96% of enrollees getting screened. BP was also prominent on another list featured in the Medicare snapshot for 2017, as hypertension was the most common chronic condition among beneficiaries with a prevalence of 58%, the CMS said.

A second glance at the report shows that 41% of enrollees had high cholesterol that year, making it the next-most common chronic condition, with arthritis third at 33%, the CMS said. Diabetes was fourth and heart disease was fifth, but rounding gives them the same prevalence of 27%.

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