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Aims: To compare healthcare costs and use between United States (US) Veterans Health Administration (VHA) patients with opioid use disorder (OUD) who experienced an opioid overdose (OD cohort) and patients with OUD who did not experience an opioid overdose (non-OD cohort). Design: This is a retrospective cohort study of administrative and clinical data. Setting: The largest integrated national health-care system is the US Veterans Health Administration's healthcare systems. Participants: We included VHA patients diagnosed with OUD from October 1, 2017 through September 30, 2018. We identified the index date of overdose for patients who had an overdose. Our control group, which included patients with OUD who did not have an overdose, was randomly assigned an index date. A total of 66 513 patients with OUD were included for analysis (OD cohort: n = 1413; non-OD cohort: n = 65 100). Measurements: Monthly adjusted healthcare-related costs and use in the year before and after the index date. We used generalized estimating equation models to compare patients with an opioid overdose and controls in a difference-in-differences framework. Findings: Compared with the non-OD cohort, an opioid overdose was associated with an increase of $16 890 [95% confidence interval (CI) = $15 611--18 169; P < 0.001] in healthcare costs for an estimated $23.9 million in direct costs to VHA (95% CI = $22.1 million, $25.7 million) within the 30 days following overdose after adjusting for baseline characteristics. Inpatient costs ($13 515; 95% CI = $12 378-14 652; P < 0.001) reflected most of this increase. Inpatient days (+6.15 days; 95% CI, = 5.33-6.97; P < 0.001), inpatient admissions (+1.01 admissions; 95% CI = 0.93-1.10; P < 0.001) and outpatient visits (+1.59 visits; 95% CI = 1.34-1.84; P < 0.001) also increased in the month after opioid overdose. Within the overdose cohort, healthcare costs and use remained higher in the year after overdose compared with pre-overdose trends. Conclusions: The US Veterans Health Administration patients with opioid use disorder (OUD) who have experienced an opioid overdose have increased healthcare costs and use that remain significantly higher in the month and continuing through the year after overdose than OUD patients who have not experienced an overdose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Access to timely care is important for patients with stroke, where rapid diagnosis and treatment affect functional status, disability, and mortality. Telestroke programs connect stroke specialists with emergency department staff at facilities without on-site stroke expertise. The objective of this study was to examine healthcare costs for patients with stroke who sought care before and after implementation of the US Department of Veterans Affairs National TeleStroke Program (NTSP).Methods: We identified 471 patients who had a stroke and sought care at a telestroke site and compared them to 529 patients with stroke who received stroke care at the same sites before telestroke implementation. We examined patient costs for 12 months before and after stroke, using a linear model with a patient-level fixed effect.Results: NTSP was associated with significantly higher rates of patients receiving guideline concordant care. Compared with control patients, those treated by NTSP were 14.3 percentage points more likely to receive tissue plasminogen activator and 4.3 percentage points more likely to receive a thrombectomy (all P < .0001). NTSP was associated with $4821 increased costs for patients with stroke in the first 30 days after the program (2019 dollars). There were no observed savings over 12 months, and the added costs of care were attributable to higher rates of guideline concordant care.Conclusions: Telestroke programs are unlikely to yield short-term savings because optimal stroke care is expensive. Healthcare organizations should expect increases in healthcare costs for patients treated for stroke in the first year after implementing a telestroke program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES To evaluate differences in end‐of‐life cost trajectories for cancer patients treated through Medicare versus by the Veterans Health Administration (VA). DESIGN A retrospective analysis of VA and Medicare administrative data from FY 2010 to 2014. We employed three‐level generalized estimating equations to evaluate monthly cost trajectories experienced by patients in their last year of life, with patients nested within hospital referral region. SETTING Care received at VA facilities or by Medicare‐reimbursed providers nationwide. PARTICIPANTS A total of 36,401 patients dying from cancer and dually enrolled in VA and Medicare. MEASUREMENTS We evaluated trajectories for total, inpatient, outpatient, and drug costs, using the last 12 months of life. Cost trajectories were prioritized as costs are not directly comparable across Medicare and VA. Patients were assigned to be VA‐reliant, Medicare‐reliant or Mixed‐reliant based on their healthcare utilization in the last year of life. RESULTS: All three groups experienced significantly different cost trajectories for total costs in the last year of life. Inpatient cost trajectories were significantly different between Medicare‐reliant and VA‐reliant patients, but did not differ between VA‐reliant and Mixed‐reliant patients. Outpatient and drug cost trajectories exhibited the inverse pattern: they were significantly different between VA‐reliant and Mixed‐reliant patients, but not between VA‐reliant and Medicare‐reliant patients. However, visual examination of cost trajectories revealed similar cost patterns in the last year of life among all three groups; there was a sharp rise in costs as patients approach death, largely due to inpatient care. CONCLUSION: Despite substantially different financial incentives and organization, VA‐ and Medicare‐treated patients exhibit similar patterns of increasing end‐of‐life costs, largely driven by inpatient costs. Both systems require improvement to ensure quality of end‐of‐life care is aligned with recommended practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hospitals and other health care delivery organizations are sometimes resistant to implementing evidence‐based programs, citing unknown budgetary implications. Objective: In this paper, I discuss challenges when estimating health care costs in implementation research. Design: A case study with intensive care units highlights how including fixed costs can cloud a short‐term analysis. Participants: None. Interventions: None. Main Measures: Health care costs, charges and payments. Key Results: Cost data should accurately reflect the opportunity costs for the organization(s) providing care. Opportunity costs are defined as the benefits foregone because the resources were not used in the next best alternative. Because there is no database of opportunity costs, cost studies rely on accounting data, charges, or payments as proxies. Unfortunately, these proxies may not reflect the organization's opportunity costs, especially if the goal is to understand the budgetary impact in the next few years. Conclusions: Implementation researchers should exclude costs that are fixed in the time period of observation because these assets (e.g., space) cannot be used in the next best alternative. In addition, it is common to use costs from accounting databases where we implicitly assume health care providers are uniformly efficient. If providers are not operating efficiently, especially if there is variation in their efficiency, then this can create further problems. Implementation scientists should be judicious in their use of cost estimates from accounting data, otherwise research results can misguide decision makers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To examine high-cost patients in VA and factors associated with persistence in high costs over time.Data Sources: Secondary data for FY2008-2012.Data Extraction: We obtained VA and Medicare utilization and cost records for VA enrollees and drew a 20 percent random sample (N = 1,028,568).Study Design: We identified high-cost patients, defined as those in the top 10 percent of combined VA and Medicare costs, and determined the number of years they remained high cost over 4 years. We compared sociodemographics, clinical characteristics, and baseline utilization by number of high-cost years and conducted a discrete time survival analysis to predict high-cost persistence.Principal Findings: Among 105,703 patients with the highest 10 percent of costs at baseline, 68 percent did not remain high cost in subsequent years, 32 percent had high costs after 1 year, and 7 percent had high costs in all four follow-up years. Mortality, which was 47 percent by end of follow-up, largely explained low persistence. The largest percentage of patients who persisted as high cost until end of follow-up was for spinal cord injury (16 percent).Conclusion: Most high-cost patients did not remain high cost in subsequent years, which poses challenges to providers and payers to manage utilization of these patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study on value-related research for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). It highlights the findings and recommendation from the value committee on enhanced measurement for reimbursement and quality improvement. The committee has identified the waste and inefficiencies within the U.S. health care system and recommends the use of coordination and competition to reinforce the delivery of high-value care in organizations like the VA.

The change in prevalence and total Veterans Affairs (VA) spending were estimated for 16 chronic condition categories between 2000 and 2008. The drivers of changes in spending also were examined. Chronic conditions were identified through diagnoses in encounter records, and treatment costs per patient were estimated using VA cost data and regression models. The estimated differences in total VA spending between 2000 and 2008 and the contributions of population increase, differences in prevalence, and differences in treatment costs were evaluated. Most of the spending increases during the study period were driven by the increase in the VA patient population from 3.3 million in 2000 to 4.9 million in 2008. Spending on renal failure increased the most, by more than $1.5 billion, primarily because of higher prevalence. Higher treatment costs did not contribute much to higher spending; lower costs per patient for several conditions may have helped to slow spending for diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart conditions, renal failure, dementia, and stroke. Lowering treatment costs per patient for common conditions can help slow spending for chronic conditions, but most of the increase in spending in the study period was the result of more patients seeking care from VA providers and the higher prevalence of conditions among patients. As the VA patient population continues to age and to develop more co-morbidities, and as returning veterans seek care for service-related problems, higher spending on chronic conditions will become a more prominent issue for the VA health care system. ( Population Health Management 2011;14:293-298) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: In coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery, there is uncertainty about whether the radial artery affects quality of life or costs relative to the saphenous vein. This study compared the cost and quality of life for patients randomized to either radial artery or saphenous vein grafts. Methods: We analyzed the duration and cost of the index surgery and costs and quality of life (Seattle Angina Questionnaire and Health Utility Index) at 1 year for 726 participants. Results: The 2 treatment groups had similar baseline characteristics. Using the radial artery added approximately 31 minutes to the surgery (from skin incision to skin closure; P < .001) compared with a saphenous vein graft. There were no significant differences in terms of costs and quality of life after the index hospitalization or at 1 year. Conclusions: Coronary artery bypass grafting with the radial artery lasts approximately 31 minutes longer than with the saphenous vein. However, costs and the quality of life were not statistically different. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Behavioral health interventions are often gauged with a dichotomous outcome, “success” or “failure.” Hidden by this dichotomy is a series of behavior changes that can be followed with the Transtheoretical Model (stages of change). There has been little consideration, however, about whether this information can and should be used in cost-effectiveness analysis. We review the stages of change model and its applications to behavioral health interventions. We then discuss analytical methods for including stages of change, or similar behavior change models, in cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA). This is typically not done but it may be critical for study design and for interpreting CEA results. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objectives. We sought information about the cost-related underuse of medications--which medications are underused, by whom, and how often. Methods. Chronically ill adults were asked to identify how often they underused prescription medication for 16 health conditions because of the cost. Results. Eighteen percent of respondents cut back on medication use owing to cost in the previous year, and 14% used less medication at least monthly. Although rates of underuse varied substantially across treatments, prescription coverage and out-of-pocket costs were determinants of underuse across medication types. Conclusions. Many chronically ill adults frequently cut back on medications owing to cost. Patients are selective about the treatments they forgo. Out-of-pocket costs and inadequate prescription coverage may lead to adherence problems for many important medication types. (Am J Public Health. 2004;94:1782-1787). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To identify problems faced by older adults with diabetes due to out-of-pocket medication costs.Research Design and Methods: In this cross-sectional national survey of 875 adults with diabetes treated with hypoglycemic medication, respondents reported whether they had underused prescription medications due to cost pressures or had experienced other financial problems associated with medication costs such as forgoing basic necessities. Respondents also described their interactions with clinicians about medication costs.Results: A total of 19% of respondents reported cutting back on medication use in the prior year due to cost, 11% reported cutting back on their diabetes medications, and 7% reported cutting back on their diabetes medications at least once per month. Moreover, 28% reported forgoing food or other essentials to pay medication costs, 14% increased their credit card debt, and 10% borrowed money from family or friends to pay for their prescriptions. Medication cost problems were especially common among respondents who were younger, had higher monthly out-of-pocket costs, and had no prescription drug coverage. In general, few respondents, including those reporting medication cost problems, reported that their health care providers had given them information or other assistance to address medication cost pressures.Conclusions: Out-of-pocket medication costs pose a significant burden to many adults with diabetes and contribute to decreased treatment adherence. Clinicians should actively identify patients with diabetes who are facing medication cost pressures and assist them by modifying their medication regimens, helping them understand the importance of each prescribed medication, providing information on sources of low-cost drugs, and linking patients with coverage programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

About 34 million people in the USA have an overactive bladder (OAB), a condition characterized by urinary urgency, with or without urinary incontinence, and usually frequency and nocturia. This condition is associated with increased health risks (e.g. urinary tract infection, falls and fall-related injuries, including broken bones), as well as admission to nursing homes and prolonged hospital stays. The annual costs associated with OAB in the community setting are >$9 billion, including $2.9 billion for diagnosis and treatment, $1.5 billion for routine care, $3.9 billion for treatment of health-related consequences, and $841 million in lost productivity. These cost patterns raise the possibility that treating OAB at an early stage may both improve patient care and minimize overall use of healthcare resources. However, before a thorough economic analysis of OAB can be undertaken, more data are needed about the long-term costs and the pathogenesis of OAB-related conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Physicians play a major role in determining the cost and quality of healthcare, yet estimates of these effects can be confounded by patient sorting. This paper considers a natural experiment where nearly 30,000 patients were randomly assigned to clinical teams from one of two academic institutions. One institution is among the top medical schools in the U.S., while the other institution is ranked lower in the distribution. Patients treated by the two programs have similar observable characteristics and have access to a single set of facilities and ancillary staff. Those treated by physicians from the higher ranked institution have 10–25% less expensive stays than patients assigned to the lower ranked institution. Health outcomes are not related to the physician team assignment. Cost differences are most pronounced for serious conditions, and they largely stem from diagnostic-testing rates: the lower ranked program tends to order more tests and takes longer to order them. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Background and Objective: Little is known about how patients facing medication cost pressures make choices about whether to underuse one or more of their prescription drugs. We calculated the probability that older adults would underuse prescription medications for common chronic illnesses because of cost concerns. We also identified differences in cost-related underuse between symptom-relief medications (e.g., analgesics) and primarily “preventive” medications (e.g., antihypertensives). Materials and Methods: Older chronically ill patients using both symptom-relief and preventive medications (N = 2,008) were identified as part of a nationwide survey in the United States and reported information about their cost-related underuse of 16 medication types. We used regression models to estimate the probability of underuse for each medication type, assuming average out-of-pocket costs, no prescription coverage, and the sociodemographic characteristics of a typical American aged 50+. Results: 23% of respondents reported forgoing medication in the prior year due to cost. The likelihood of cost-related underuse was higher for symptom-relief medications (27%) than for primarily preventive medications (20%, P < .001). Among the subset of patients who cut back on adherence due to cost, the likelihood of forgoing symptom-relief medication (69%) was higher than that for preventive drugs (54%, P < .001). Conclusions: Medication characteristics beyond cost alone influence decisions to underuse treatment in response to financial pressures. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Few studies have examined the effect of informal care receipt on health care utilization and expenditures while accounting for the potentially endogenous relationship between informal and formal care, and none have examined these relationships for U.S. Veterans. With rapidly increasing investments in caregiver supports over the past decade, including stipends for caregivers, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) needs to better understand the costs and benefits of informal care provision. Using a unique data linkage between the 1998–2010 Health and Retirement Study and VA administrative data (n = 2083 Veterans with 9511 person-wave observations), we applied instrumental variable techniques to understand the effect of care from an adult child on Veterans' two-year VA utilization and expenditures. We found that informal care decreased overall utilization by 53 percentage points (p < 0.001) and expenditures by $19,977 (p < 0.01). These reductions can be explained by informal care decreasing the probability of inpatient utilization by 17 percentage points (p < 0.001), outpatient utilization by 57 percentage points (p < 0.001), and institutional long-term care by 3 percentage points (p < 0.05). There were no changes in the probability of non-institutional long-term care use, though these expenditures decreased by $882 (p < 0.05). Expenditure decreases were greatest amongst medically complex patients. Our results indicate relative alignment between VA's stipend payments, which are based on replacement cost methods, and the monetary benefits derived through VA cost avoidances due to informal care. For health systems considering similar caregiver stipend payments, our findings suggest that the cost of these programs may be offset by informal care substituting for formal care, particularly for higher need patients. • Few studies measure the causal effect of informal care on health care use and costs. • We assess caregiving's effect on Veterans' costs using survey-linked claims data. • Caregiving decreased two-year utilization by 53 % points and costs by $19,977. • Care recipients had lower inpatient, outpatient, and long-term care utilization. • Findings suggest relative alignment between cost offsets and VA's stipend payments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]