Trends in RA patients’ adherence to subcutaneous anti-TNF therapies and costs

ABSTRACT

Objective: To examine adherence to adalimumab (ADA) and etanercept (ETA) and health care costs in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, and to explore the association between adherence, utilization and costs.

Research design and methods: Using administrative claims data from a large managed health care plan, RA patients treated with etanercept or adalimumab during the period from 01/01/2005 through 12/31/2005 were identified. The first dispensing date was defined as the index date. Patient adherence and costs were assessed during the 1 year post-index period.

Main outcome measures: Nonadherence (medication possession ratio <80%) was modeled using logistic regression. Hazard ratios (HR) comparing time to discontinuation were estimated using Cox proportional hazard (PH) models. Propensity score matching with multivariate generalized linear modeling adjustment was done to assess cost difference between ADA and ETA.

Results: Of 3829 eligible RA patients, 1292 (765 existing, 527 naïve) and 2537 (1834 existing, 703 naïve) patients used ADA and ETA, respectively. Compared with ADA users, ETA users had longer average treatment duration (316 vs. 291 days; p?<?0.0001). Unadjusted adherence rates for naïve and existing users were 63% and 70% (ADA), and 65% and 73% (ETA). Logistic regression analysis indicated that compared with ETA users, ADA users were more likely to be nonadherent (OR, naïve 1.24; existing; 1.25). Cox PH models indicated that existing ADA users were more likely to discontinue (HR?=?1.11; p?=?0.06) their medication than existing ETA users. Compared with ADA users, ETA users had significantly lower RA-related pharmacy costs (naïve: $10,892 vs. $12,534, p?<?0.01; existing: $12,192 vs. $13,752, p?<?0.01) and RA-related total costs (naïve: $11,976.42 vs. $13,511.99, p?<?0.05; existing: $14,031 vs. $15,454, p?<?0.05).

Conclusions: ETA users had longer treatment duration, were more likely to adhere to their medication regimen and had lower RA-related pharmacy and RA-related total costs compared with ADA users. These findings must be considered within the limitations of this database analysis.     

Economic burden in direct costs of concomitant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma in a Medicare Advantage population

BACKGROUND: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a highly prevalent disease whose sufferers consume a large amount of resources. Among community-dwelling Medicare beneficiaries, 12% reported that they had COPD in 2002. For clinicians, differentiating COPD from asthma may be difficult, but among patients with COPD and asthma, approximately 20% have both conditions. The economic impact of concomitant asthma and COPD is potentially large but has not been studied. OBJECTIVE: To assess the cost burden of asthma in patients with COPD in a Medicare Advantage population. METHODS: We reviewed the database of a large health plan that contained information from more than 30 distinct plans covering approximately 25 million members. We identified Medicare beneficiaries aged 40 years or older with medical and pharmacy benefits and medical claims with International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) diagnosis codes for COPD or asthma over a 1-year identification period (calendar year 2004). We assigned patients to 2 cohorts based on diagnoses on medical claims (any diagnosis field) during 2004; the COPD cohort had at least 1 medical claim for COPD, and the COPD + asthma cohort had at least 1 claim for COPD and at least 1 claim for asthma. A patient's index date was the first date during 2004 in which there was a medical claim with a diagnosis code for COPD or asthma. To confirm diagnosis, each patient was required to have at least 1 additional claim for COPD (COPD cohort) or at least 1 claim for COPD and at least 1 claim for asthma (COPD + asthma cohort) during the 24-month period from 12 months before through 12 months after the index date. We excluded patients who (1) were not continuously enrolled during the 12 months before and after the index date and (2) did not have at least 1 pharmacy claim for a drug of any type (to verify pharmacy benefits). Outcome measures included the use of emergency room (ER) and hospital services, and cost (net provider payment after subtraction of member cost share), categorized as all-cause, non-respiratory, and respiratory-related. ER use and inpatient hospital stays were identified using place-of-service codes. A minimum of 2 consecutive dates of service (length of stay [LOS] of at least 1 day) was required to indicate an inpatient hospitalization. An LOS of at least 1 day was required to distinguish inpatient services from other services (e.g., procedures or tests) reported on claims with an inpatient place of service. Multivariate analyses adjusted for age, gender, census region, and Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI). Ordinary least squares regression was used to predict respiratory-related total health care costs, and logistic regression was used to predict the occurrence of at least 1 acute event, defined as use of either an ER or an inpatient hospital. All 2-way interactions were considered, and only those with significant results were included in the models. All reported P values were 2-sided with a 0.05 significance level. RESULTS: During 2004, 68,532 individuals within the database were enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan. After application of the other inclusion criteria, we excluded approximately 11% of the patients who did not have 1 pharmacy claim of any type. There were 8,086 patients (11.8%) who had at least 1 medical claim with diagnosis codes for COPD and at least 1 other medical claim for either COPD or asthma and were continuously enrolled for at least 24 months. The COPD + asthma cohort numbered 1,843 patients (22.8%), and the COPD cohort numbered 6,243 patients (77.2%). Compared with COPD patients without asthma, patients with COPD + asthma were slightly younger, and a higher proportion was female. There were differences between the 2 cohorts in geographic distribution, and the COPD + asthma cohort had a higher disease severity with a mean CCI score of 2.6 (standard deviation [SD], 2.1) compared with the COPD cohort (2.3 [2.3], P < 0.001). Respiratory-related pharmacy costs were a relatively small part of total respiratory-related health care costs: approximately 5.7% for the COPD cohort and 8.8% for the COPD + asthma cohort. Respiratory-related costs accounted for 22.0% of total all-cause health care costs for the COPD cohort and 28.7% for the COPD + asthma cohort. Mean ([SD], median) unadjusted respiratory-related health care costs were $7,240 ([$15,057], $1,957) for the COPD + asthma cohort and $5,158 ([$11,881], $808) in the COPD cohort. After adjusting for covariates, patients in the COPD + asthma cohort were more likely to have at least 1 acute event (e.g., ER visits and hospitalizations) than patients in the COPD cohort (adjusted odds ratio, 1.6; 95% CI, 1.4-1.7) and had $1,931 (37.1%) greater adjusted respiratory-related health care costs--$7,135 versus $5,204 for the COPD cohort (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Medicare beneficiaries with COPD and asthma incur higher health care costs and use more health care services than those with COPD without asthma.     

Resource utilization in asthma:combined fluticasone propionate/salmeterol compared with inhaled corticosteroids

ABSTRACT

Background: Asthma management guidelines recommend low-dose inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) for initial treatment of mild persistent asthma. Instead, data from primary care practice show that many patients start on combination therapy with fluticasone propionate/salmeterol (FPS) for mild asthma. The consequences of this variance from guideline recommendations are not well described.

Objective: Compare healthcare utilization and asthma-related outcomes for patients with mild asthma who began treatment with FPS or ICS alone.

Design and data source: A retrospective analysis of asthma-related insurance claims. Patients initially treated with FPS or ICS were identified from an administrative health insurance claims database and followed for 1 year. Analyses of resource utilization 6 months before therapy initiation identified patients with mild asthma. Propensity score matching managed between-group differences in clinical characteristics and controlled for selection bias.

Outcome measures: Resource use was determined for asthma-related outpatient visits, emergency room services, hospitalizations, and medications.

Results: Demographic characteristics and comorbidities were similar for each group (FPS, n = 1888; ICS, n = 1888). During the 12?month follow-up period, total asthma-related costs were significantly higher for FPS versus ICS ($1206 vs. $804; p < 0.0001), owing primarily to significantly higher drug costs for FPS versus ICS ($677 vs. $357; p < 0.0001). The percentage of patients experiencing an exacerbation (14.0% FPS, 13.5% ICS) and the average number of exacerbations in each group (0.175 FPS, 0.164 ICS) were similar.

Conclusions: Healthcare costs were found to be lower in patients receiving ICS than in those receiving FPS, with similar health outcomes in both groups. Study limitations included the use of claims data and a proxy definition of asthma severity, and potential confounding by unobserved factors.     

Economic impact of multiple sclerosis disease-modifying drugs in an employed population: direct and indirect costs*

ABSTRACT

Objective: The study objective is to compare the annual total medical and indirect costs of newly treated and untreated employees with multiple sclerosis (MS).

Research design and methods: A retrospective database analysis of employer medical, drug, and disability claims database (Ingenix Employer database, 1999–2005; 17 large US companies) was conducted for employees 18–64 years of age with ≥1 MS diagnosis after January 1, 2002. Employees with ≥1 MS disease-modifying drug (DMD) claim comprised the newly treated group; employees with MS but no DMD at any time comprised the untreated, comparison group. Index date was the day after the most recent claim (treated, DMD claim; untreated, MS claim) meeting the following requirements: continuous health coverage for 3 months before (baseline period) and 12 months after the index date (study period) and actively employed during baseline.

Main outcome measures: Total medical costs and indirect (work loss) costs over the 1-year study period (2006 $US) were compared for DMD-treated and untreated MS employees, adjusting for baseline characteristics, including comorbidities.

Results: During the baseline, MS employees who became treated (n?=?258) were younger (40.9 vs. 44.4 years, p?<?0.0001) and had a higher proportion of women (72 vs. 62%, p?=?0.007) than the untreated group of MS employees who never received DMD treatment (n?=?322). The 3-month baseline MS-related medical costs were higher among treated MS employees ($2520 vs. $1012, p?<?0.0001). There was a nonsignificant trend toward higher baseline non-MS-related medical costs in untreated versus treated MS employees. Risk-adjusted total annual medical costs ($4393 vs. $6187, p?<?0.0001) and indirect costs ($2252 vs. $3053, p?<?0.0001) were significantly lower for treated MS employees than for untreated MS employees.

Conclusions: Initiation of MS disease-modifying drugs was associated with substantial significant medical and indirect savings for employees with MS. Study findings should be considered in the context of the study limitations (e.g., analytic focus on employees with at least 12-month follow-up; lack of clinical detail on MS severity).     

Healthcare costs for allergic rhinitis patients on allergy immunotherapy: a retrospective observational study

Objective: Subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT) for allergic rhinitis (AR) has been shown to control symptoms for up to several years following treatment discontinuation, but the effect of SCIT on healthcare costs for commercially insured patients is unknown. The objective of this study was to compare healthcare costs and resource utilization for patients with AR who received SCIT compared with those who discontinued SCIT shortly after initiation.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study evaluated medical and pharmacy claims from the Optum Research Database from January 2009 through February 2014 for adults and pediatric patients with >7 (continuers) vs. ≤7 (discontinuers) injection visits for SCIT within 60 days of initiation.

Results: After 1:1 propensity score matching, each cohort included 6710 patients. Continuers were less likely than discontinuers to use oral corticosteroids (27.7% vs. 29.6%, p?=?.018), or to have ≥1 respiratory-related emergency room visit (5.4% vs. 6.5%, p?=?.008) and ≥1 inpatient stay (1.1% vs. 1.7%; p?=?.002). Continuers were more likely than discontinuers to have ≥1?AR-related office (98.8% vs. 94.6%, p?p?=?.002). Continuers had greater mean total AR-related costs than discontinuers ($1918 vs. $646, p?p?=?.077); when adjusted with a generalized linear model, these costs were significantly lower among continuers (p?Conclusions: Continued SCIT use is associated with decreased emergency room visits and inpatient stays, decreased oral corticosteroid use, and lower respiratory-related costs, compared with early discontinuation.     

Anemia in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: epidemiology and economic implications

ABSTRACT

Background: Anemia in chronic illness is associated with increased healthcare resource utilization (HRU) and costs. In COPD, it occurs frequently and influences both clinical and economic outcomes. Because no data studies have been performed either in a single center or a subpopula­tion of COPD patients, anemia's influence on the outcomes is not fully understood.

Research design and methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study in a large healthcare database to quantify prevalence, HRU and costs of anemia in COPD. From 1997 to 2005, patients ≥?45 years of age with an ICD-9 diagnosis code for COPD and >?3.5 years of follow-up were included. Anemia was defined by the WHO criteria. Other disease states for which anemia is a known complication were excluded. We calculated the prevalence of anemia and compared annual HRU and costs between COPD patients with and without anemia. Multiple regression analysis adjusted for the effects of age, gender, race, length of enrollment, diagnosing physician specialty, co-morbidity burden, anemia and COPD severity.

Results: Of the 2404 patients with COPD, 33% (n = 788) had a diagnosis of anemia. Anemic patients were older, more likely to be male and non-Caucasian, and had a greater co-morbidity burden than non-anemic individuals. Annual costs for COPD patients with anemia were more than twice those for patients without anemia ($17?240 vs. 6492, p < 0.001, unadjusted). HRU was also significantly greater among anemic than non-anemic COPD patients (?p < 0.0001). In a multiple regression analysis, anemia accounted for $7929 per patient (95% CI: $5572–10?599) of the total costs of care.

Limitations: This is a retrospective cohort study and thus subject to multiple forms of bias. Although spirometric evidence of COPD was available only for a subgroup of patients, our case identification methods have been previously validated and found to be accurate in recognizing COPD.

Conclusions: Anemia is a common co-morbidity in COPD. It is significantly associated with an increase in HRU and costs of care for COPD, independent of demographic and clinical patient characteristics.     

Transitioning from oral risperidone or paliperidone to once-monthly paliperidone palmitate: a real-world analysis among Veterans Health Administration patients with schizophrenia who have had at least one prior hospitalization

Abstract

Objective: To address gaps in the literature on healthcare resource utilization (HRU) and costs among patients with schizophrenia and prior hospitalization who transition from oral risperidone or paliperidone (oral ris/pali) to once-monthly paliperidone palmitate (PP1M) in a real-world setting by comparing treatment patterns, HRU, and costs 12-months pre- and post-transition to PP1M among Veterans Health Administration (VHA) patients affected by schizophrenia who have had ≥1 hospitalization.

Methods: VHA patients with schizophrenia (aged ≥18?years) who initiated oral ris/pali, had ≥1 all-cause inpatient stay, and transitioned to PP1M from January 2015–March 2017 were included from the VHA database. The first transition date to PP1M was identified as the index date. Patients were required to have continuous health plan eligibility for 12?months pre- and post-PP1M. Outcomes were compared using the Wilcoxon signed-rank and McNemar’s test, as appropriate.

Results: The study included 319 patients (mean [SD] age?=?51.6 [4.2] years) during 12 months of baseline and follow-up. During pre-PP1M transition, 7.2% of the patients were adherent (proportion of days covered [PDC]?≥?80%) to oral ris/pali. Post-PP1M transition, 27.6% of the patients were adherent to PP1M. Comparison of HRU outcomes from the pre- to post-PP1M transition revealed significantly lower all-cause inpatient stays (3.5 vs 1.4, p?<?.0001) and shorter inpatient length of stay (43.4 vs 18.3?days, p?<?.0001). Similar trends were seen for mental health and schizophrenia-related HRU. Cost outcome comparison indicated significantly lower all-cause inpatient costs ($64,702 vs $24,147, p?<?.0001), total medical costs ($87,917 vs $56,947, p?<?.0001), and total costs ($91,181 vs $69,106, p?<?.0001). A similar trend was observed for mental health and schizophrenia-related costs.

Conclusions: Transitioning from oral ris/pali to PP1M may significantly improve HRU and provide potential cost savings in VHA patients with schizophrenia and ≥1 prior hospitalization.     

The impact of esophageal candidiasis on hospital charges and costs across patient subgroups

ABSTRACT

Objective: Assess the impact of esophageal candidiasis on US hospital inpatient charges, length of stay (LOS), and costs across clinically relevant subgroups.

Methods: Total hospital charge (THC) and LOS data extracted from the 2005 National Inpatient Sample (NIS) were compared for patients with and without esophageal candidiasis within the top 20 most commonly assigned Diagnosis Related Groups (DRGs) for the disease. Total hospital costs were estimated using hospital charges in the 2005 Medicare Provider Analysis and Review (MEDPAR) file and hospital cost-to-charge ratios published in the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Service's (CMS) 2005 Inpatient Prospective Payment System Standardization File.

Results: Across 274 DRGs, 45 727 esophageal candidiasis patients were identified. Mean age was 50.8 years; 52.5% were female, 59.3% Caucasian. Median LOS was 7 days; median THC was $25 649.

Of all esophageal candidiasis cases identified, 65% fell into the top 20 most commonly assigned DRGs. Within this subset, HIV-related DRGs accounted for 22% of the esophageal candidiasis cases. The difference in mean THC and LOS for esophageal candidiasis patients in HIV-related DRGs was not significant. However, total hospital costs were higher for esophageal candidiasis patients in this subset ($11 886 vs. $10 534, p?<?0.01). The remaining 78% of esophageal candidiasis cases were assigned to 19 non-HIV-related DRGs. Mean LOS, THC, and total hospital costs were significantly higher for esophageal candidiasis patients within these 19 non-HIV-related DRGs, (8.4 vs. 6.1; $35 704 vs. $23 874, and $10 917 vs. $7474, p?<?0.01 in all cases).

Conclusions: Esophageal candidiasis affects a wide range of patient groups; it increases LOS and total charges within non-HIV-related hospitalizations. Although the costs presented in this study are estimates, they do suggest a significant increase in cost among esophageal candidiasis cases. Future studies on treatment and preventive care strategies for esophageal candidiasis should not be limited to HIV patients, but instead performed across a wider range of disease settings.     

Prescribing patterns and healthcare costs of gout

Objective/methods: The Longitudinal Health Insurance Database (LHID) 2010 was used to identify gout cases and their number of gout flares.

Results: Out of 21,376 gout patients, a total of 3561 (16.7%) had frequent gout flares (≥3 gout flares/year). Average all-cause healthcare utilization (35.9 visits vs. 30.7 visits; p?<?.001) and gout-related utilization (22.7 visits vs. 15.6 visits; p?<?.001) were higher in frequent gout flare patients than in those with infrequent gout flares. The median gout-related cost (USD $369 vs. $285; p?<?.001), but not all-cause costs (p?=?.25), were higher in frequent gout flare patients compared to the infrequent group. Over 55.8% of the flares were treated with colchicine?+?NSAIDs.

Conclusions: In conclusion, patients with frequent gout flares had higher healthcare utilization and gout-related healthcare costs. Colchicine?+?NSAIDs are commonly used therapy for gout flare.     

Statin plus ezetimibe treatment in clinical practice: the SI-SPECT (Slovenia (SI) Statin Plus Ezetimibe in Cholesterol Treatment) monitoring of clinical practice study

ABSTRACT

Background: Poor results from lipid-lowering therapy are mainly due to inadequate dosing and increased adverse effects with high-dose statin monotherapy or drug combinations.

Objectives: The SI-SPECT (Slovenia (SI) Statin Plus Ezetimibe in Cholesterol Treatment) study evaluated the effectiveness of either ezetimibe (EZE) 10?mg as monotherapy or co-administered with on-going statin treatment (S?+?EZE) in clinical practice.

Design and methods: A total of 1053 dyslipidaemic patients (52% men, age 60.3 years, 42.9% with CHD, 32.0% with diabetes mellitus and 69.6% with hypertension) were enrolled. The majority (n?=?986; 93.6%) were treated with EZE as ‘add-on’ to their already prescribed statin, the rest only received EZE (n?=?67).

Main outcome measures: Baseline lipid levels were compared with those obtained 16 weeks after initiating treatment.

Results: Total (TC) and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), as well as triglycerides (TG) decreased significantly with S?+?EZE (by 25.3%, 31.4% and 28.9%, respectively; p?<?0.0001 for all comparisons), while monotherapy with EZE resulted in a decrease of 20.8% for TC (?p?<?0.0001), 28.0% for LDL-C (?p?<?0.0001) and 28.8% for TG (?p?=?0.016). At the end of the study 43.9% of patients achieved target TC (<?5.0?mmol/L for primary prevention and <?4.5?mmol/L for secondary prevention), 50.5% target LDL-C (<?3.0?mmol/L for primary prevention and <?2.5?mmol/L for secondary prevention) and 61.6% target TG (<?2.0?mmol/L). The overall incidence of adverse effects during the treatment period, and probably related to EZE use, was low (n?=?6, 0.6% of patients).

Conclusions: (1) S?+?EZE combination therapy was effective and safe irrespective of the statin used, (2) the S?+?EZE combination resulted in significantly more patients reaching their recommended target lipid levels and (3) the lipid-lowering efficacy of EZE in monotherapy as well as of the S?+?EZE combination was related to initial lipid values. The much greater decrease of TG than expected could be, at least in part, due to better control/compliance regarding diet and drug treatment during the study and adherence to the need for an overnight fast before sampling.     

Comparison of Medicaid spending in schizoaffective patients treated with once monthly paliperidone palmitate or oral atypical antipsychotics

Background Compared to oral atypical antipsychotics (OAAs), long-acting injectable antipsychotics require less frequent administration, and thus may improve adherence and reduce risk of relapse in schizoaffective disorder (SAD) patients.

Objective To evaluate the impact of once monthly paliperidone palmitate (PP) versus OAAs on healthcare resource utilization, Medicaid spending, and hospital readmission among SAD patients.

Methods Using FL, IA, KS, MS, MO, and NJ Medicaid data (January 2009–December 2013), adults with ≥2 SAD diagnoses initiated on PP or OAA (index date) were identified. Baseline characteristics and outcomes were assessed during the 12month pre- and post-index periods, respectively. Propensity score matching (PSM) and inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) were used to reduce confounding and compare the estimated treatment effect for PP versus OAA.

Results A total of 10,778 OAA-treated patients and 876 PP-treated patients were selected. Compared to OAAs, PP was associated with significantly lower medical costs (PSM: mean monthly cost difference [MMCD]?=?-$383, p?<?0.001; IPTW: MMCD?=?-$403, p?=?0.016), which offset the higher pharmacy costs associated with PP (PSM: MMCD?=?$270, p?<?0.001; IPTW: MMCD?=?$350, p?<?0.001) and resulted in similar total healthcare cost (PSM: MMCD?=?-$113, p?=?0.414; IPTW: MMCD?=?-$53, p?=?0.697) for PP versus OAA. Reduced risk of hospitalization (PSM: incidence rate ratio [IRR]?=?0.85, p?=?0.128; IPTW: IRR?=?0.96, p?=?0.004) and fewer hospitalization days (PSM: IRR?=?0.74, p?=?0.008; IPTW: IRR?=?0.85, p?<?0.001) were observed in PP versus OAA patients. Among hospitalized patients, PP was associated with a lower risk of 30 day hospital readmission compared to OAA (IPTW: odds ratio?=?0.89, p?=?0.041).

Limitations The Medicaid data may not be representative of the nation or other states, and includes pre-rebate pharmacy costs (potentially over-estimated). Also changes in treatment over time were possible.

Conclusions Total healthcare costs associated with the use of once monthly PP versus OAAs appeared comparable; higher pharmacy costs for PP users were offset by lower medical costs related to fewer and shorter inpatients visits.     

Impact of comorbid depression or anxiety on patterns of treatment and economic outcomes among patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain

ABSTRACT

Objective: The objective of this retrospective analysis was to assess the correlation of comorbid depression and/or anxiety to patterns of treatment, healthcare utilization, and associated costs among diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain (DPNP) patients, employing a large US administrative claims database.

Research design and methods: Patients under age 65 with commercial insurance and patients aged 65 and older with employer-sponsored Medicare supplemental insurance were selected for the study if they had at least one diagnosis of DPNP in 2005. The first observed DPNP claim was considered the ‘index date.’ All individuals had a 12-month pre-index and 12-month follow-up period. For both populations, two subgroups were constructed for individuals with depression and/or anxiety (DPNP-DA cohort) or without these disorders (DPNP-only cohort). Patients’ demographic characteristics, clinical characteristics, and medication use were compared over the pre-index period. Healthcare expenditures and resource utilization were measured for the post-index period. Two-part models were used to examine the impact of comorbid depression and/or anxiety on healthcare utilization and costs, controlling for demographic and clinical characteristics.

Results: The study identified 11?854 DPNP-only and 1512 DPNP-DA patients in the Medicare supplemental cohort, and 11?685 and 2728 in the commercially insured cohort. Compared to DPNP-only patients over the follow-up period, a significantly higher percentage of DPNP-DA patients were dispensed pain and DPNP-related medication. All components of healthcare utilization, except home healthcare visits and physician office visits, were more likely to be provided to DPNP-DA patients versus the DPNP-only cohort (all p?<?0.01). Controlling for differences in demographic and clinical characteristics, DPNP-DA patients had significantly higher total costs than those of DPNP-only patients for Medicare ($9134, p?<?0.01) and commercially insured patients ($11?085, p?<?0.01).

Limitations: Due to the use of a retrospective administrative claims database, limitations of this study include the potential for selection bias between study cohorts, mis-identification of DPNP and/or depression, and inability to assess indirect costs as well as use and cost of over-the-counter medications.

Conclusions: These findings indicate that the healthcare costs were significantly higher for DPNP patients comorbid with depression and/or anxiety relative to those without such disorders.     

Prevalence and economic burden of hyperkalemia in the United States Medicare population

Abstract

Objective: To estimate the prevalence and economic burden of hyperkalemia in the United States (US) Medicare population.

Methods: Patients were selected from a 5% random sample of Medicare beneficiaries (01 January 2010–31 December 2014) to estimate the prevalence and economic burden of hyperkalemia. The prevalence for each calendar year was calculated as the number of patients with hyperkalemia divided by the total number of eligible patients per year. To estimate the economic burden of hyperkalemia, patients with hyperkalemia (cases) were matched 1:1 to patients without hyperkalemia (controls) on age group, chronic kidney disease [CKD] stage, dialysis treatment, and heart failure. The incremental 30-day and 1-year resource utilization and costs (2016 USD) associated with hyperkalemia were estimated.

Results: The estimated prevalence of hyperkalemia was 2.6–2.7% in the overall population and 8.9–9.3% among patients with CKD and/or heart failure. Patients with hyperkalemia had higher 1-year rates of inpatient admissions (1.28 vs. 0.44), outpatient visits (30.48 vs. 23.88), emergency department visits (2.01 vs. 1.17), and skilled nursing facility admissions (0.36 vs. 0.11) than the matched controls (all p?<?.001). Patients with hyperkalemia incurred on average $7208 higher 30-day costs ($8894 vs. $1685) and $19,348 higher 1-year costs ($34,362 vs. $15,013) than controls (both p?<?.001). Among patients with CKD and/or heart failure, the 30-day and 1-year total cost differences between cohorts were $7726 ($9906 vs. $2180) and $21,577 ($41,416 vs. $19,839), respectively (both p?<?.001).

Conclusions: Hyperkalemia had an estimated prevalence of 2.6–2.7% in the Medicare population and was associated with markedly high healthcare costs.