The Center for Health Information and Analysis (CHIA) is an independent state agency that tracks data and information to promote a more transparent and equitable health care system that effectively serves all residents of the Commonwealth.

CHIA’s new Annual Report on the Performance of the Massachusetts Health Care System primarily focuses on data through 2023 and finds Total Health Care Expenditures (THCE) in Massachusetts that year totaled $78.1 billion. From 2022 to 2023, THCE per capita increased 8.6% to $11,153 per resident.

CHIA found that, while affordability was a pervasive issue in Massachusetts with 41.3% of residents overall having issues paying for health care, the burden was greater for Hispanic residents (58.2%) and non-Hispanic Black residents (48.7%).

In 2023, approximately 1.3 million Massachusetts residents were enrolled in Medicare, the federal health insurance program for people age 65 and older as well as for individuals with long-term disabilities. Specifically on inpatient discharges for behavioral health patients age 65 and older, the most common primary diagnoses were alcohol and mood-related disorders (page 97).

Dually eligible patients, or patients who are enrolled in both Medicare and Medicaid, had the highest rate of readmission (21.7%) in 2023, followed by patients with Medicaid only and Medicare only (16.4% and 15.8%, respectively). Regardless of dual eligibility, Medicare patients accounted for the most readmissions by volume of any payer group (59%).

More detailed analysis is available in the full report here.