Care Fragmentation and Outpatient Imaging Utilization and Expenditures in U.S. Adults: A MEPS 2020 Study
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Background
Care fragmentation has been linked to overuse and higher costs. Evidence on how fragmentation relates to outpatient imaging in the general U.S. population remains limited.
Objective
To quantify the association between care fragmentation and outpatient imaging utilization and radiology expenditures among U.S. adults, and to test whether associations differ by multimorbidity and insurance.
Design
Cross-sectional, survey-weighted analysis using the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) 2020.
Participants
Adults aged ≥ 18 years in MEPS 2020 with non-missing survey design variables.
Exposures
Care fragmentation category (None/Low/Medium/High), defined using person-level utilization breadth and intensity from the Full-Year Consolidated file.
Main outcomes and measures
Primary outcomes included any advanced imaging (receipt of at least one MRI, CT, or ultrasound during office-based visits) and total radiology expenditures (sum of payments for imaging-flagged office-based visits). Secondary outcomes included any imaging, imaging visit count, and radiology spending as a proportion of total expenditures.
Results
In survey-weighted models (reference = Low; “None” excluded from regressions), Medium fragmentation was associated with higher odds of any advanced imaging (OR 1.42, 95% CI 1.23–1.64), whereas High did not further increase the probability (OR 0.92, 0.71–1.19). Fragmentation substantially increased intensity: imaging visit counts (RR 2.51 Medium; 3.96 High vs Low) and radiology spending among spenders (2.36× Medium; 3.96× High vs Low). Older age (50–64, 65+), female sex, and Medicare coverage independently raised both imaging probability and spend.
Conclusions
Care fragmentation is associated with both increased probability and intensity of advanced imaging utilization, with particularly strong effects on radiology expenditures among adults with positive spending. Findings support targeted interventions to improve care coordination and reduce potentially unnecessary imaging in fragmented care environments.
