A Lost Opportunity in Tobacco Cessation Care: Impact of Underbilling in a Large Health System.

INTRODUCTION: Tobacco cessation remains a critical challenge in healthcare, with evidence-based interventions often underutilized due to misaligned economic incentives and inadequate training. This study aims to quantify the economic impact of missed billing opportunities for tobacco cessation in a healthcare system, thereby assessing potential revenue loss and evaluating the effectiveness of systems-based approaches to enhancing tobacco cessation efforts. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study utilized aggregated deidentified patient health data from an 8-hospital regional health system across Pennsylvania and Maryland, from 1/1/21 to 12/31/23. The analysis focused on primary care encounters eligible for tobacco cessation counseling (CPT codes 99406 or 99407), with potential revenue calculated based on the Medicare reimbursement rate. RESULTS: Over 3 years, and 507,656 office visits, only 1,557 (0.3%) of encounters with persons using tobacco were billed for cessation services. The estimated total potential revenue gained if each person who was identified as using tobacco was billed consistently for tobacco cessation counseling was $5,947,018.13, and $1,982,339.38 annually. CONCLUSIONS: The study reveals a significant gap between the potential and actual billing for tobacco cessation services, highlighting not only the financial implications of missed opportunities but also a validation of a health system's public health impact. Underbilling contributes to considerable annual revenue loss and undermines primary prevention efforts against tobacco-related diseases. The findings illuminate the need for enhanced billing practices and systemic changes, including policy improvements that influence proper billing to promote public health benefits through improved tobacco cessation interventions.

Impact of a geriatric case management program on health plan costs.

We evaluated the impact of HIP, Health Plan of New York's geriatric case management (GCM) program, which is offered to Medicare Advantage members at high risk for high health care costs and utilization. The study design was a comparison of health plan costs for program participants and nonparticipants eligible for the program, controlling for variables predictive of high health care costs measured prior to program enrollment. The GCM program's impact on health care cost was derived from regression models comparing the costs of 101 program participants without exposure to other disease management programs to 1585 eligible nonparticipants, controlling for age, sex, and health care costs in the pre-program period. Net costs or savings from the program were computed as the sum program operation costs and the estimated change in health care costs associated with program participation. Mean annual health care costs for each program participant were $7720 lower than for eligible nonparticipants (P = .0090). The lower health care costs were attributable to the lower costs for inpatient and outpatient hospital and skilled nursing facility settings, exceeding the higher costs for physician office visits and prescription drugs. Estimated program costs were $2755 per member managed by the program, yielding a net savings of $4965 per member enrolled. A GCM program was successfully implemented in a large Medicare Advantage program. The reductions in health care costs achieved through GCM exceeded program costs resulted in meaningful savings for the health plan.

Study of smoking behavior in asbestos workers.

BACKGROUND: Asbestos exposure and concomitant cigarette smoking markedly increase the risk of lung cancer and contribute to the prevalence and severity of pulmonary interstitial fibrosis. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of 214 asbestos workers was initiated to determine the prevalence of smoking and their readiness to quit smoking using the stage of change theory. RESULTS: The study was comprised of 61 never smokers (28.5%), 118 ex-smokers (55.1%), and 35 current smokers (16.4%). Reasons for smoking cessation in ex-smokers included perception of ill-health (51%) and knowledge of smoking-asbestos hazards (3.4%). Stage of change of current smokers revealed: precontemplation (26.5%), contemplation (35%), preparation (29%), and action (8.8%). Current smokers had the highest prevalence of small airway obstruction on spirometry. CONCLUSIONS: A detailed smoking history during medical surveillance activities will enable the occupational physician to identify asbestos workers who have difficulty quitting and to develop a system in which such individuals can be referred to comprehensive smoking cessation programs.