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Initial Maintenance Therapy Adherence Among Older Adults With Asthma-COPD Overlap

Older adults with coexisting asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), known as asthma-COPD overlap, who take fixed-dose combinations of inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting β agonists may be less likely to have persistent low adherence to initial maintenance therapy.

Care Management Improves Total Cost of Care for Patients With Dementia

Compared with usual care, a dementia care management program improved various cost of care and utilization metrics in a Medicare managed care population at 12 months.

The Price Paradox of Biosimilar-Like Long-Acting Insulin

Findings suggest that Basaglar was not less expensive for patients than Lantus. Empirical evaluation of biosimilar costs prior to automatic substitution is necessary.

Impact of Expanded Carrier Screening on Health Care Utilization

This study shows little evidence of harms or increased health care utilization for people receiving negative (normal) results of expanded carrier screening through genome sequencing.

Preventive Care: Vaccines Matter

A database of information about more than 30,000 patients verified improved morbidity and mortality due to vaccines and preventive health care in prospective trials.

Contributor: Medication Adherence—A Lens into How Well Health Care is Working

Medication adherence is a key to improving outcomes, reducing costs, and strengthens the patient experience, making it an important lens into how health care is serving patients

COVID-19 and Clinic Workflow Optimization Using Lean Six Sigma

The authors report an approach of outpatient clinic workflow reorganization utilizing simple, inexpensive measures to improve patient engagement and experience in addition to providing a safe setting for patients for clinic visits in the wake of COVID-19.

Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Management of Adolescent Behavioral Health

Personnel costs ($90,514) of a primary care–embedded adolescent behavioral health nurse practitioner over 2 years were 63% of the potential revenue generated ($144,449).

Impact of Medical Care Coordination Intervention on Patient Activation

This observational evaluation compared an adult medical care coordination intervention with usual care and found that the intervention was associated with significant improvements in patient activation.

Predictors of Discharge From the VA Caregiver Support Program

The year of application predicts discharge from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) caregiver program. Unexpected, disallowed criteria also predict discharge, with significant others facing higher discharge risk than spouses.

Imposing a Health Insurance Surcharge on the Unvaccinated

Imposing a surcharge on unvaccinated employees will require employers to think through legal and policy implications.

Readability of Hospital Patient Financial Policy Documents

In a cross-sectional study of US hospitals, patient financial assistance and billing policy documents averaged 10th-grade readability scores, with variation significantly associated with several attributes.

Biosimilar Adoption and Provider Performance in Medicare Value-Based Payment Models

Evidence suggests that adoption of oncology biosimilars in Medicare value-based payment models has produced substantial cost savings and improved provider financial performance.

COVID-19 Telehealth Expansion Can Help Solve the Health Care Underutilization Challenge

The telehealth policy changes enacted for short-term control of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic present an opportunity to address the fundamental gap in health care underutilization.

Contributor: Medicare Needs to Ensure People With ALS Have Access to Clinically Appropriate Respiratory Care

The pandemic has shown a spotlight on how critically important respiratory care is to Americans who struggle to breathe on their own. Yet, Medicare policy must be updated to ensure that access to lifesaving equipment will never be disrupted.

Impact of Delayed Adoption of Novel Atrial Fibrillation Treatments

Using direct oral anticoagulants as a case study, the authors examined how delayed adoption of novel treatments could impact patient health outcomes and cost.

Hospitals’ Strategies to Reduce Costs and Improve Quality: Survey of Hospital Leaders

Hospitals pursue a broad range of efforts to improve quality, with those participating in bundled payments attempting to reduce postacute care to a greater degree than nonparticipants.

Improving Patient-Centered Care in Diabetes With Comparative Effectiveness Research

Predictors of Orphan Drug Coverage Restrictions in Medicare Part D

The majority of orphan drugs are subject to utilization controls in Medicare Part D plans. The use of utilization controls varies by certain drug characteristics.

Provider Directory Inaccuracy and Timely Access for Mental Health Care

Some of the nation’s strictest provider network regulations have led to neither high rates of provider directory accuracy nor timely access to mental health care.

Variation in Generic Dispensing Rates in Medicare Part D

Generic use has increased over time in Medicare Part D, but substantial variation across plans persists in a number of common classes.

Medicaid ACOs and Managed Care: A Tale of 2 States

This article presents a detailed descriptive analysis of how Massachusetts and Minnesota implemented Medicaid accountable care organization (ACO) models for their managed care population.

Practices Need More Proactive Approaches to Influence Evolving Oncology Ecosystem

Cost-effectiveness of a 3-Year Tele-Messaging Intervention for Positive Airway Pressure Use

Long-term tele-messaging was more effective than no messaging and short-term messaging for positive airway pressure use, and it was highly likely to be cost-effective with an acceptable willingness-to-pay threshold.

Patient Well-being and the Clinical and Economic Burdens Associated With Obesity in the United States

Pilot Testing the Johns Hopkins Early Discharge Planning Calculator

This pilot study found that machine learning predicted post acute facility care (PAC) needs with 85% accuracy, demonstrating its feasibility and potential to help prioritize rehabilitation consultations early in hospitalization.

Telemedicine Catches On: Changes in the Utilization of Telemedicine Services During the COVID-19 Pandemic

This analysis of health insurance claims data demonstrates rapid increase and sustained high utilization of telemedicine services during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Longer Appointment Duration Reduces Future Missed Appointments in Safety-Net Clinics

Longer appointment duration was associated with lower likelihood of missed appointments for patients receiving care at a federally qualified health center network.

ACA Medicaid Expansion Association With Racial Disparity Reductions in Timely Cancer Treatment

Medicaid expansion was associated with a reduction in the racial disparity in timely treatment of patients with advanced cancer in the United States.

Predictors of and Barriers to Receipt of Advance Premium Tax Credits

Few eligible individuals apply for the Advance Premium Tax Credit due to knowledge barriers. Additionally, specific sociodemographic characteristics appear to predict applying status.