Treatment Patterns by Race and Ethnicity in Newly Diagnosed Persons with Multiple Sclerosis.

BACKGROUND: Non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic persons with MS (pwMS) are more likely to experience rapid disease progression and severe disability than non-Hispanic White pwMS; however, it is unknown how the initiation of high-efficacy disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) differs by race/ethnicity. This real-world study describes DMT treatment patterns in newly diagnosed pwMS in the United States (US) overall and by race/ethnicity. METHODS: This retrospective analysis used the US Optum Market Clarity claims/electronic health records database (January 2015-September 2020). pwMS who were first diagnosed in 2016 or later and initiated any DMT in the two years following diagnosis were included. Continuous enrollment in the claims data for ≥ 12 months before and ≥ 24 months after diagnosis was required. Treatment patterns 2 years after diagnosis were analyzed descriptively overall and by race/ethnicity. RESULTS: The sample included 682 newly diagnosed and treated pwMS (non-Hispanic Black, n = 99; non-Hispanic White, n = 479; Hispanic, n = 35; other/unknown race/ethnicity, n = 69). The mean time from diagnosis to DMT initiation was 4.9 months in all pwMS. Glatiramer acetate and dimethyl fumarate were the most common first-line DMTs in non-Hispanic Black (28% and 20% respectively) and Hispanic pwMS (31%, 29%); however, glatiramer acetate and ocrelizumab were the most common in non-Hispanic White pwMS (33%, 18%). Use of first-line high-efficacy DMTs was limited across all race/ethnicity subgroups (11-29%), but uptake increased in non-Hispanic Black and White pwMS over the study period. CONCLUSION: Use of high-efficacy DMTs was low across all race/ethnicity subgroups of newly diagnosed pwMS in the US, including populations at a greater risk of experiencing rapid disease progression and severe disability.

Anti-SARS-CoV-2 monoclonal antibodies for the treatment of mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in multiple sclerosis: A retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The use and potential benefit of anti-severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) for the treatment of mild-to-moderate coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in people living with multiple sclerosis (pwMS) remains poorly studied. The objective of this study is to describe the therapeutic use of anti-SARS-CoV-2 mAbs among pwMS. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study used electronic medical records data from the TriNetX Dataworks USA Network and included adult pwMS, diagnosed with COVID-19, who received anti-SARS-CoV-2 mAbs in the outpatient setting between November 2020 and April 2022. We analyzed COVID-19 severity at anti-SARS-CoV-2 mAb initiation and up to 30 days, stratified by before/after emergence of Omicron variant and by disease-modifying therapy (DMT). RESULTS: The study included 434 pwMS treated with anti-SARS-CoV-2 mAbs for mild-to-moderate COVID-19, including 270 patients before and 174 after Omicron emergence. Most pwMS were female (80.2%), mean age (SD) was 51.5 (12.5) years. Two-hundred-and-five patients were on DMTs, 51% of whom received anti-CD20s. One patient with moderate COVID-19 was hospitalized whilst receiving glatiramer acetate. No patients required intensive care and there were no deaths. COVID-19 outcomes were comparable following anti-SARS-CoV-2 mAb therapy in patients receiving different DMTs. CONCLUSION: Anti-SARS-CoV-2 mAb treatment for pwMS with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 may reduce the risk of COVID-19-related hospitalization and death.

Real-World Clinical and Economic Outcomes Among Persons With Multiple Sclerosis Initiating First- Versus Second- or Later-Line Treatment With Ocrelizumab.

INTRODUCTION: Prior research has demonstrated that early treatment with high-efficacy disease-modifying therapies (DMTs), including ocrelizumab (OCR), can reduce relapses and delay disease progression among persons with multiple sclerosis (pwMS) compared with escalation from low-/moderate-efficacy DMTs. However, there is a lack of research examining the impact of early use of OCR on real-world clinical and economic outcomes. This study aimed to evaluate differences in events often associated with a relapse (EOAR) as well as non-DMT healthcare resource use (HCRU) and costs among pwMS who received OCR as a first-line treatment compared with later-line treatment after diagnosis. METHODS: Newly diagnosed adult pwMS were selected from deidentified Optum Market Clarity claims data (study period: January 1, 2015-June 30, 2021). All pwMS were required to have initiated OCR after diagnosis and have 12 months of continuous eligibility prior to diagnosis. The index date was the date of initiation of the first-line DMT after diagnosis. pwMS who initiated OCR as first-line (1L OCR cohort) or a second- or later-line treatment (2L + OCR cohort) were matched 1:1 based on length of continuous eligibility after the first-line DMT and weighted using stabilized inverse probability of treatment. In the follow-up period, differences in outcomes, including annualized EOAR, non-DMT HCRU and costs, were evaluated for pwMS in the 1L vs. 2L + OCR cohorts. RESULTS: The sample included 748 pwMS. During the follow-up period, pwMS in the 1L OCR cohort had a significantly lower annual rate of EOAR compared with pwMS in the 2L + OCR cohort (0.37 vs. 0.56; difference: 0.20 [95% CI 0.08, 0.32]). pwMS in the 1L OCR cohort had a significantly lower probability of any hospitalization within 1 year, fewer non-DMT outpatient visits and lower all-cause and MS-related, non-DMT costs compared with pwMS in the 2L + OCR cohort. CONCLUSIONS: First-line initiation OCR was associated with improvements in clinical and non-DMT economic outcomes compared with later-line initiation of OCR, suggesting that early initiation may benefit both patients and the healthcare system.

Trends in postpartum mental health care before and during COVID-19.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of COVID-19 on trends in postpartum mental health diagnoses and utilization of psychotherapy and prescription drug treatment. DATA SOURCES: Data were obtained from a large, national health insurance claims database that tracks individuals longitudinally. STUDY DESIGN: We used interrupted time series models to examine changes in trends of postpartum mental health diagnoses before and during the COVID-19 pandemic and t-tests to examine differences in treatment. DATA EXTRACTION METHODS: We used billing codes to identify individuals who received mental health-related diagnoses and treatment in the first 90 days after a birth hospitalization. We excluded individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder and those with an unknown payer at delivery. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Compared to the pre-pandemic period, the trend in new postpartum mental health diagnoses increased significantly in the post-COVID-19 period (0.06 percentage points [95%CI 0.01, 0.11]). Over 12 months, the percentage of new diagnoses was 5.0% greater relative to what would be expected in absence of COVID-19. The percentage of diagnosed individuals who did not receive treatment increased from 50.4% to 52.7% (p = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: Findings point to an urgent need to improve screening and treatment pathways for perinatal individuals in the wake of COVID-19.

Declines in contraceptive visits in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: To document the change in contraceptive visits in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. STUDY DESIGN: Using a nationwide sample of claims we analyzed the immediate and sustained changes in contraceptive visits during the pandemic by calculating the percentage change in number of visits between May 2019 and April 2020 and between December 2019 and December 2020, respectively. We examined these changes by contraceptive method, region, age, and use of telehealth, and separately for postpartum individuals. RESULTS: Relative to May 2019, in April 2020, visits for tubal ligation declined by 65% (95% CI, -65.5, -64.1), LARCs by 46% (95% CI, -47.0, -45.6), pill, patch, or ring by 45% (95% CI, -45.8, -44.5), and injectables by 16% (95% CI -17.2, -15.4). The sustained change in visits in December 2020 was larger for tubal ligation (-18%, 95% CI, -19.1, -16.8) and injectable (-11%, 95% CI, -11.4, -9.6) visits than for LARC (-6%, 95% CI, -6.6, -4.4) and pill, patch, and ring (-5%, 95% CI, -5.7, -3.7) visits. The immediate decline was highest in the Northeast and Midwest regions. Declines among postpartum individuals were smaller but still substantial. CONCLUSIONS: There were large declines in contraceptive visits at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and visit numbers remained below pre-pandemic levels through the end of 2020. IMPLICATIONS: Declines in contraceptive visits during the pandemic suggest that many people faced difficulties accessing this essential health service during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Medicaid expansions, preconception insurance, and unintended pregnancy among new parents.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the relationship between recent changes in Medicaid eligibility and preconception insurance coverage, pregnancy intention, health care use, and risk factors for poor birth outcomes among first-time parents. DATA SOURCE: This study used individual-level data from the national Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (2006-2017), which surveys individuals who recently gave birth in the United States on their experiences before, during, and after pregnancy. STUDY DESIGN: Outcomes included preconception insurance status, pregnancy intention, stress from bills, early prenatal care, and diagnoses of high blood pressure and diabetes. Outcomes were regressed on an index measuring Medicaid generosity, which captures the fraction of female-identifying individuals who would be eligible for Medicaid based on state income eligibility thresholds, in each state and year. DATA COLLECTION/EXTRACTION METHODS: The sample included all individuals aged 20-44 with a first live birth in 2009-2017. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Among all first-time parents, a 10-percentage point (ppt) increase in Medicaid generosity was associated with a 0.7 ppt increase (P = 0.017) in any insurance coverage and a 1.5 ppt increase (P < 0.001) in Medicaid coverage in the month before pregnancy. We also observed significant increases in insurance coverage and early prenatal care and declines in stress from bills and unintended pregnancies among individuals with a high-school degree or less. CONCLUSIONS: Increasing Medicaid generosity for childless adults has the potential to improve insurance coverage in the critical period before pregnancy and help improve maternal outcomes among first-time parents.

Association Between Medicaid Prescription Drug Limits and Access to Medications and Health Care Use Among Young Adults With Disabilities.

Importance: Prescription drugs are necessary for managing complex physical and mental health conditions for more than 10 million Medicaid beneficiaries with disabilities. However, some state Medicaid programs limit the number of prescription drugs that beneficiaries can obtain monthly, which may decrease access to essential medications. Objective: To examine the association between exposure to the 3-drug limit at age 21 years in Arkansas and Texas and prescription drug and health care use among beneficiaries with disabilities enrolled in Medicaid. Design Setting and Participants: In this cohort study of 28 046 young adults with disabilities, difference-in-differences analysis was performed using Medicaid Analytic eXtract claims data from January 1, 2007, to December 31, 2012. Analyses were completed December 1, 2020. The analyses included Medicaid beneficiaries with disabilities in Arkansas and Texas (ie, drug cap states) or 15 comparison states without drug cap policies who became age 21 years during the study period and were continuously enrolled in fee-for-service Medicaid in the year before and after that point. Exposures: Exposure to the 3-drug prescription limit at age 21 years in 2 drug cap states. Main Outcomes and Measures: Monthly total prescriptions and prescriptions for drugs to treat mental health conditions, total prescription drug spending, and inpatient and emergency department visits and spending in the 12 months before and after becoming age 21 years. Results: Among 28 046 young adults with disabilities, 8214 (29.3%) resided in drug cap states and were subject to the 3-drug limit at age 21 years. Most individuals were male (drug cap states: 61.4%, comparison states: 60.6%), and the minority were White individuals (drug cap states: 36.7%, comparison states: 49.4%). More than one-half of individuals with disabilities were diagnosed with a mental health condition before age 21 years (drug cap states: 57.0%, comparison states: 60.0%). In the year before the analyzed individuals became aged 21 years, the mean (SD) number of prescriptions per beneficiary per month was 1.58 (2.16) in drug cap states vs 1.82 (1.91) in comparison states. The drug cap policy was associated with 19.6% (95% CI, -21.3% to -17.8%; P < .001) fewer monthly prescriptions and 16.5% (95% CI, -21.9% to -10.8%; P < .001) fewer prescriptions for drugs for mental health conditions but was not associated with total prescription drug spending. The drug cap policy was associated with 13.6% (95% CI, 1.9% to 26.6%; P = .02) more inpatient admissions. Conclusions and Relevance: In this cohort study of young adults with disabilities, drug cap policies were associated with lower rates of access to important medications and higher rates of hospitalization among individuals in states with drug cap policies vs those without these policies.

Association of Prenatal Care Services, Maternal Morbidity, and Perinatal Mortality With the Advanced Maternal Age Cutoff of 35 Years.

Importance: Maternal and perinatal mortality remain high in the US despite growing rates of prenatal services and spending, and little rigorous evidence exists regarding the impact of prenatal care intensity on pregnancy outcomes. Patients with an expected date of delivery just after their 35th birthday may receive more intensive care owing to the advanced maternal age (AMA) designation; whether this increase in prenatal care is associated with improvements in outcomes has not been explored. Objective: To determine the association between the AMA designation and prenatal care services, severe maternal morbidity, and perinatal mortality. Design Setting and Participants: This cross-sectional study used a regression discontinuity design to compare individuals just above vs just below the 35-year AMA cutoff, using unidentifiable administrative claims data from a large, nationwide commercial insurer. All individuals with a delivery between January 1, 2008, and December 31, 2019, who were aged 35 years within 120 days of their expected date of delivery were included in the study. Analyses were performed from July 1, 2020, to February 1, 2021. Exposures: Individuals who were aged 35.0 through 35.3 years on the expected date of delivery were designated as AMA. Main Outcomes and Measures: Outcomes were visits with specialists (obstetrician-gynecologists and maternal-fetal medicine), ultrasound scan use, antepartum fetal surveillance, aneuploidy screening, severe maternal morbidity, preterm birth or low birth weight, and perinatal mortality. Results: The analysis included 51 290 individuals (mean [SD] age; 34.5 [0.5] years); 26 108 individuals (50.9%) were aged 34.7 to 34.9 years and 25 182 individuals (49.1%) were aged 35.0 to 35.3 years on the expected date of delivery. A total of 2407 pregnant individuals (4.7%) had multiple gestation, 2438 (4.8%) had pregestational diabetes, 2265 (4.4%) had chronic hypertension, and 4963 (9.7%) had obesity. Advanced maternal age was associated with a 4.27 percentage point increase in maternal-fetal medicine visits (95% CI, 2.27-6.26 percentage points; P < .001), a 0.21 unit increase in total ultrasound scans (95% CI, 0.06-0.37; P = .006), a 15.67 percentage point increase in detailed ultrasound scans (95% CI, 13.68-17.66 percentage points; P < .001), and a 4.86 percentage point increase in antepartum surveillance (95% CI, 2.83-6.89 percentage points; P < .001). The AMA designation was associated with a 0.39 percentage point decline in perinatal mortality (95% CI, -0.77 to -0.01 percentage points; P = .04). Conclusions and Relevance: In this cross-sectional study, the AMA designation at age 35 years was associated with an increase in receipt of prenatal monitoring and a small decrease in perinatal mortality, suggesting that the AMA designation may be associated with clinical decision-making, with individuals just older than 35 years receiving more prenatal monitoring. These results suggest that increases in prenatal care services stemming from the AMA designation may have important benefits for fetal and infant survival for patients in this age range.

Who receives naloxone from emergency medical services? Characteristics of calls and recent trends.

Background: With the rapid rise in opioid overdose-related deaths, state policy makers have expanded policies to increase the use of naloxone by emergency medical services (EMS). However, little is known about changes in EMS naloxone administration in the context of continued worsening of the opioid crisis and efforts to increase use of naloxone. This study examines trends in patient demographics and EMS response characteristics over time and by county urbanicity. Methods: We used data from the 2013-2016 National EMS Information System to examine trends in patient demographics and EMS response characteristics for 911-initiated incidents that resulted in EMS naloxone administration. We also assessed temporal, regional, and urban-rural variation in per capita rates of EMS naloxone administrations compared with per capita rates of opioid-related overdose deaths. Results: From 2013 to 2016, naloxone administrations increasingly involved young adults and occurred in public settings. Particularly in urban counties, there were modest but significant increases in the percentage of individuals who refused subsequent treatment, were treated and released, and received multiple administrations of naloxone before and after arrival of EMS personnel. Over the 4-year period, EMS naloxone administrations per capita increased at a faster rate than opioid-related overdose deaths across urban, suburban, and rural counties. Although national rates of naloxone administration were consistently higher in suburban counties, these trends varied across U.S. Census Regions, with the highest rates of suburban administration occurring in the South. Conclusions: Naloxone administration rates increased more quickly than opioid deaths across all levels of county urbanicity, but increases in the percentage of individuals requiring multiple doses and refusing subsequent care require further attention.

An Observational Study of Retail Pharmacy Naloxone Prescriptions: Differences Across Provider Specialties and Patient Populations.

BACKGROUND: Despite exponential growth in pharmacy-dispensed naloxone, little information is available regarding variation in naloxone prescribing pattern across specialty groups, regions, and patient populations. OBJECTIVE: Explore variation in pharmacy-dispensed naloxone by prescriber specialty and patient characteristics. DESIGN: Cross-sectional analysis of the 2016 national retail pharmacy naloxone prescription claims from the IQVIA Real Longitudinal Prescriptions database. PARTICIPANTS: Naloxone prescribers and individuals filling naloxone prescriptions. MAIN MEASURES: Descriptive statistics assess differences across prescriber specialty groups in number of naloxone prescribers, patient and prescription characteristics, and geographic variation in naloxone dispensation and naloxone market share across prescriber specialty groups or formulation. KEY RESULTS: In 2016, 100,958 naloxone prescriptions written by 14,026 prescribers were filled by 88,735 patients. Primary care physicians accounted for the largest share of naloxone prescribers (45.9%); pain and anesthesia physicians and non-physicians prescribed to significantly greater numbers of patients (means of 10 and 8, respectively). While responsible for a relatively small share of naloxone dispensed (6.1%), psychiatrists and addiction specialists disproportionately served younger individuals, accounting for 49.5% of all prescriptions for individuals aged 35 and younger. Naloxone fill rates differed greatly across geographic regions, with the highest per capita rates in New England and the most concentrated prescribing in the West South Central and South Atlantic regions, where naloxone prescribers had the highest average numbers of patients (9.7 and 7.9, respectively). The South Atlantic and West South Central also had naloxone markets dominated by the Evzio® auto-injector, responsible for 50.3% and 43.8% of all naloxone dispensed in the regions; in contrast, New England's naloxone market was predominantly comprised of generic formulations (48.8%) and Narcan® nasal spray (45.4%). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings reflect a need to better understand barriers to uptake of naloxone prescribing behavior among physicians and other prescribers to ensure individuals have adequate opportunity to receive naloxone from their treating clinicians.

Delivery of Preventive Oral Health Services by Rurality: A Cross-Sectional Analysis.

PURPOSE: Integrating oral health care into primary care has been promoted as a strategy to increase delivery of preventive oral health services (POHS) to young children, particularly in rural areas where few dentists practice. Using a multistate sample of Medicaid claims, we examined a child's odds of receiving POHS in a medical office by county rurality. METHODS: We used 2012-2014 Medicaid Analytic extract claims data for 6,275,456 children younger than 6 years in 39 states that allowed Medicaid payment for POHS in medical offices. We used county-level characteristics from the Area Health Resources Files, including a 3-level measure of county rurality. We used logistic regression to estimate a child's odds of receiving POHS in a medical office by county rurality, while controlling for other patient and county characteristics. FINDINGS: POHS in medical offices were received by 7.8% of children. Rates of POHS in medical offices were higher in metropolitan (metro) counties (8.4%) than nonmetro adjacent to metro (5.8%) and nonmetro not adjacent to metro (4.3%). In adjusted analysis, children living in nonmetro not adjacent to metro (OR = 0.79, 95% CI: 0.64-0.99) and adjacent to metro counties (OR = 0.70, 95% CI: 0.59-0.82) were significantly less likely to receive POHS in medical offices than children living in metro counties. CONCLUSIONS: In this study of POHS in medical offices among young Medicaid-enrolled children, we found POHS rates were lowest in nonmetro counties. Given barriers to dental care in rural areas, states should take additional steps beyond allowing Medicaid reimbursement to increase delivery of POHS in medical offices.