| Characteristic | Standard assistance, %* n = 28 539 | Enhanced assistance, %* n = 24 926 |
|---|---|---|
| Age*, yr | ||
| 69 | 8961 (31.6) | 3315 (13.3) |
| 70 | 7458 (26.3) | 4212 (16.9) |
| 71 | 5615 (19.8) | 5085 (20.4) |
| 72 | 3828 (13.5) | 5708 (22.9) |
| 73 | 2496 (8.8) | 6605 (26.5) |
| Health status† | ||
| 1-2 major ADGs | 12 421 (43.8) | 11 167 (44.8) |
| ≥ 3 major ADGs | 1957 (6.9) | 1919 (7.7) |
| ≥ 1 diagnoses of primary indications† | ||
| Antihypertensives | 16 618 (58.6) | 15 529 (62.3) |
| Cholesterol drugs | 5615 (19.8) | 5284 (21.2) |
| Income†, $ | ||
| 0-14 999 | 709 (2.5) | 698 (2.8) |
| 15 000-29 999 | 3148 (11.1) | 3963 (15.9) |
| 30 000-32 999 | 567 (2.0) | 1371 (5.5) |
| 33 000-42 999 | 3290 (11.6) | 3614 (14.5) |
| 43 000-49 999 | 2439 (8.6) | 2642 (10.6) |
| 50 000-56 999 | 3431 (12.1) | 2418 (9.7) |
| 57 000-69 999 | 4197 (14.8) | 2767 (11.1) |
| ≥ 70 000 | 10 550 (37.2) | 7478 (30.0) |
| Fair PharmaCare† | ||
| Registered for plan | 25 835 (91.1) | 23 929 (96.0) |
| Ethnicity† | ||
| Chinese | 1730 (6.1) | 2817 (11.3) |
| South Asian | 1163 94.1) | 997 (4.0) |
| Rural dwelling | ||
| Rural | 2297 (8.1) | 2044 (8.2) |
| Overall health care use | ||
| Mean total cost of medical care, $ | 1112 | 1167 |
| Mean no. of medical care visits | 16.8 | 17.7 |
| Mean total cost of hospital care, $ | 1067 | 1112 |
| Share with 1 or more admissions to hospital, no. (%) | 6267 (22.1) | 5558 (22.3) |
Note: ADG = aggregated diagnostic group.
*Unless otherwise indicated.
†Difference significant at p = 0.05.