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Mortality Among Veterans and Non-veterans: Does Type of Health Care Coverage Matter?

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  • Scott D. Landes

    (Syracuse University)

  • Andrew S. London

    (Syracuse University)

  • Janet M. Wilmoth

    (Syracuse University)

Abstract

Recent studies examine veteran status differences in mortality, but none consider heterogeneity in military-veteran health care coverage. We use data from the 1997–2009 (2011) National Health Interview Survey-Linked Mortality Files (N = 624,610) to estimate Cox regression models of the association between veteran status and mortality taking into account the type of military-veteran health care coverage and sex/gender. Descriptive analyses provide further evidence that veterans who only use Veterans Affairs (VA) health care services are a distinctly disadvantaged subpopulation with substantially increased mortality risk. Results from multivariate analyses confirm a veteran mortality disadvantage, reveal that this disadvantage varies by type of military-veteran health coverage, and demonstrate that the disadvantage is largely but not totally explained by demographic, socioeconomic, and health status differences between groups. Results further indicate that the veteran mortality disadvantage is most pronounced among male veterans who only use VA health care or who have no military-veteran health coverage, respectively, relative to male non-veterans with no military-veteran health care coverage. There is a mortality disadvantage among female veterans who have no military-veteran health care coverage, and a mortality advantage among female non-veterans with military-veteran health care coverage, relative to female non-veterans with no military-veteran health care. Based on these findings, we argue that in order to fully understand veteran status differences in morbidity and mortality, future studies must move beyond the analysis of veteran- and VA-only samples, and should take into account variable connections of subpopulations to the military, resultant differences in types of health care coverage, and sex/gender.

Suggested Citation

  • Scott D. Landes & Andrew S. London & Janet M. Wilmoth, 2018. "Mortality Among Veterans and Non-veterans: Does Type of Health Care Coverage Matter?," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 37(4), pages 517-537, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:poprpr:v:37:y:2018:i:4:d:10.1007_s11113-018-9468-2
    DOI: 10.1007/s11113-018-9468-2
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Anne Case & Christina Paxson, 2005. "Sex differences in morbidity and mortality," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 42(2), pages 189-214, May.
    2. Landes, Scott D. & Wilder, JeffriAnne & Williams, Desiree, 2017. "The effect of race and birth cohort on the veteran mortality differential," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 179(C), pages 36-44.
    3. Dalton Conley & Jennifer Heerwig, 2012. "The Long-Term Effects of Military Conscription on Mortality: Estimates From the Vietnam-Era Draft Lottery," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 49(3), pages 841-855, August.
    4. Andrew London & Colleen Heflin, 2015. "Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Use Among Active-Duty Military Personnel, Veterans, and Reservists," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 34(6), pages 805-826, December.
    5. Miller, M. & Barber, C. & Young, M. & Azrael, D. & Mukamal, K. & Lawler, E., 2012. "Veterans and suicide: A reexamination of the National Death Index-linked National Health Interview Survey," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 102(S1), pages 154-159.
    6. McCarthy, J.F. & Blow, F.C. & Ignacio, R.V. & Ilgen, M.A. & Austin, K.L. & Valenstein, M., 2012. "Suicide among patients in the Veterans Affairs health system: Rural-urban differences in rates, risks, and methods," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 102(S1), pages 111-117.
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    Cited by:

    1. Rabbitt, Matthew P. & Smith, Michael D., 2021. "Food Insecurity Among Working-Age Veterans," USDA Miscellaneous 311332, United States Department of Agriculture.
    2. Rabbitt, Matthew P. & Smith, Michael D., 2021. "Food Insecurity Among Working-Age Veterans," USDA Miscellaneous 311332, United States Department of Agriculture.

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