Prescription copay reduction program for diabetic employees: impact on medication compliance and healthcare costs and utilization.
Am Health Drug Benefits
; 2(1): 14-24, 2009 Jan.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-25126268
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE:
To examine the impact of a value-based benefit design on utilization and expenditures.METHODS:
This benefit design involved all diabetes-related drugs and testing supplies placed on the lowest copay tier for 1 employer group. The sample of diabetic members were enrolled from a 9-month preperiod and for 2 years after the benefit design was implemented. Measured outcomes included prescription drug utilization for diabetes and medical utilization. Generalized measures were used to estimate differences between years 1 and 2 and the preperiod adjusting for age, gender, and comorbidity risk.RESULTS:
Diabetes prescription drug use increased by 9.5% in year 1 and by 5.5% in year 2, and mean adherence increased by 7% to 8% in year 1 and fell slightly in year 2 compared with the preperiod. Pharmacy expenditures increased by 47% and 53% and expenditures for diabetes services increased by 16% and 32% in years 1 and 2, respectively.CONCLUSION:
Increases in adherence and use of diabetes medications were observed. There were no compensatory cost-savings for the employer through lower utilization of medical expenditures in the first 2 years. Adherent patients had fewer emergency department visits than nonadherent patients after the implementation of this benefit design.
Texto completo:
1
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Tipo de estudo:
Health_economic_evaluation
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Am Health Drug Benefits
Ano de publicação:
2009
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Colômbia