Public spending on acute and long-term care for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.

INTRODUCTION: We estimate the spending attributable to Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) to the United States government for the first 5 years post-diagnosis. METHODS: Using data from the Health and Retirement Study matched to Medicare and Medicaid claims, we identify a retrospective cohort of adults with a claims-based ADRD diagnosis along with matched controls. RESULTS: The costs attributable to ADRD are $15,632 for traditional Medicare and $8833 for Medicaid per dementia case over the first 5 years after diagnosis. Seventy percent of Medicare costs occur in the first 2 years; Medicaid costs are concentrated among the longer-lived beneficiaries who are more likely to need long-term care and become Medicaid eligible. DISCUSSION: Because the distribution of the incremental costs varies over time and between insurance programs, when interventions occur and the effect on the disease course will have implications for how much and which program reaps the benefits.

What factors predict the passage of state-level e-cigarette regulations?

E-cigarettes are controversial products. They may help addicted smokers to consume nicotine in a less harmful manner or to quit tobacco cigarettes entirely, but these products may also entice youth into smoking. This controversy complicates e-cigarette regulation as any regulation may lead to health improvements for some populations, and health declines for other populations. Using data from 2007 to 2016, we examine factors that are plausibly linked with U.S. state e-cigarette regulations. We find that less conservative states are more likely to regulate e-cigarettes and that states with stronger tobacco lobbies are less likely to regulate e-cigarettes. This information can help policymakers as they determine how best to promote public health through regulation.

Out-of-pocket costs attributable to dementia: A longitudinal analysis.

BACKGROUND: Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) affect 5.7 million Americans, and are expensive despite the lack of a cure or even treatments effective in managing the disease. The literature thus far has tended to focus on the costs to Medicare, even though one of the main characteristics of ADRD (the loss of independence and ability to care for oneself) incurs costs not covered by Medicare. METHODS: In this paper, we use survey data for 2002-2016 from the Health and Retirement Study to estimate the out-of-pocket costs of ADRD for the patient and their family through the first 8 years after the onset of symptoms, as defined by a standardized 27-point scale of cognitive ability. A two-part model developed by Basu and Manning (2010) allows us to separate the costs attributable to ADRD into two components, one driven by differences in longevity and one driven by differences in utilization. RESULTS: We identified a cohort of 3619 incident dementia cases, 38.9% were male, and 66.9% were non-Hispanic White. Dementia onset was 77.7 years of age, on average. OOP costs attributable to dementia are $8751 over the first 8 years after the onset. These incremental costs are driven by nursing home expenditures, which are largely uninsured in the US. OOP spending is highest for whites and women. CONCLUSION: The financial burden of ADRD is significant, and largely attributable to the lack of wide-spread long-term care insurance.

The effect of health insurance on sexual health: Evidence from the Affordable Care Act's dependent coverage mandate.

This study estimates changes in sexually transmitted disease rates for young adults in the United States following the Affordable Care Act's dependent coverage mandate; a provision that allows dependents to remain covered under their parents' health insurance plans until the age of 26. This study is the first to analyze changes in reported chlamydia and gonorrhea rates resulting from the dependent coverage mandate. Utilizing a difference-in-differences framework coupled with administrative data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, I find that reported chlamydia rates increased for males and females ages 20-24 relative to comparison groups of males and females ages 15-19 and 25-29 following the mandate. I also find evidence of an increase in gonorrhea rates for females in this age group. I find no evidence that the mandate induced ex ante moral hazard.