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METHODS

To understand the impact of Medicare program type on utilization among individuals experiencing homelessness, we compared unhoused members enrolled in SCAN Health Plan, a MA health plan in California, with all unhoused members in California in the Medicare FFS 5% sample between January 1, 2019, and December 31, 2019. Housing status was ascertained using the ICD-10 diagnosis code for homelessness (Z590), defined as “persons lacking permanent or reliable shelter.” Members receiving hospice care were not included in this study. Descriptive analyses were used to characterize the groups, and the number of CMS Hierarchical Condition Categories (HCCs) was used as a proxy for health status. For each setting, the average number of visits per patient per year was compared between MA and traditional Medicare. The groups were case-mix adjusted for gender, age, Medicare …