Comprehensive support of family caregivers: Are there health system cost offsets?
Health Serv Res
; 55(5): 710-721, 2020 10.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-32621548
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES:
To examine the effect of the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Caregivers (PCAFC) on total VA health care costs for Veterans. DATA SOURCES VA claims. STUDYDESIGN:
Using a pre-post cohort design with nonequivalent control group, we estimated the effect of PCAFC on total VA costs up through 6 years. The treatment group included Veterans (n = 32 394) whose caregivers enrolled in PCAFC. The control group included an inverse probability of treatment weighted sample of Veterans whose caregivers were denied PCAFC enrollment (n = 38 402). DATA EXTRACTION May 2009-September 2017. PRINCIPALFINDINGS:
Total VA costs pre-PCAFC application date were no different between groups. Veterans in PCAFC were estimated to have $13 227 in VA costs in the first 6 months post-PCAFC application, compared to $10 806 for controls. Estimated VA costs for both groups decreased in the first 3 years with a narrowing, but persistent and significant, difference, through 5.5 years. No significant difference in VA health care costs existed at 6 years, approximately $10 000 each, though confidence intervals reflect significant uncertainty in cost differences at 6 years.CONCLUSIONS:
Increased costs arose from increased outpatient costs of participants. Sample composition changes may explain lack of significance in cost differences at 6 years because these costs comprise of early appliers to PCAFC. Examining 10-year costs could elucidate whether there are long-term cost offsets from increased engagement in outpatient care.Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
United States Department of Veterans Affairs
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Custos de Cuidados de Saúde
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Cuidadores
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Serviços de Assistência Domiciliar
Tipo de estudo:
Health_economic_evaluation
Limite:
Adult
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Female
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Humans
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Male
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Middle aged
País como assunto:
America do norte
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2020
Tipo de documento:
Article