January 2011

To generate cost savings, plan sponsors should implement transitional care programs and disease management programs that consider risk, actionability, treatment and program effectiveness, and costs.

The US Food and Drug Administration granted emergency use authorization of intravenous neuraminidase inhibitors for patients with 2009 influenza A (H1N1), creating a need for economic studies.

High-deductible benefit design was associated with increased out-of-pocket costs for maternity care, but had no adverse impacts on receipt of recommended prenatal and postpartum care.

There is a critical need for comparative information about plan resource use to support value-based purchasing efforts.

The health savings account-eligible design may decrease costs and utilization, but it also may decrease use of preventive services.

Using an electronic health record to identify and implement colorectal cancer screening in a population of eligible patients achieved higher uptake than a visit-based approach.

This cross-sectional retrospective study found comparable blood pressure control rates among patients with hypertension receiving primary care from a nurse practitioner versus a physician.

Higher overall patient satisfaction with inpatient care and discharge planning is associated with lower 30-day readmission rates after adjusting for clinical quality.

Healthcare costs are elevated for patients on chronic opioid therapy; nonadherence to the opioid regimen, based on urine drug monitoring results, further increases costs.

Overuse of rescue medication among asthma patients is associated with increased exacerbations and higher total and asthma-related healthcare costs.

High-deductible benefit design was associated with increased out-of-pocket costs for maternity care, but had no adverse impacts on receipt of recommended prenatal and postpartum care.

To generate cost savings, plan sponsors should implement transitional care programs and disease management programs that consider risk, actionability, treatment and program effectiveness, and costs.

The US Food and Drug Administration granted emergency use authorization of intravenous neuraminidase inhibitors for patients with 2009 influenza A (H1N1), creating a need for economic studies.