Home health and skilled nursing facility use: 1982-90.

In this article, analyses are made of home health and skilled nursing facility (SNF) use for the period 1982-90 using Medicare records linked to data on community and institutional residents from the National Long-Term Care Surveys (NLTCSs) of 1982, 1984, and 1989. The combined survey and administrative data analyses are performed to ascertain how the chronic health and functional characteristics of community and institutional residents using Medicare-reimbursed services changed during the period. During this period, changes had been made in the Medicare system that affected the use of services for persons with specific health and functional problems.