Publications

Keyword	Topic	Publication Type

Five Features Of Value-Based Insurance Design Plans Were Associated With Higher Rates Of Medication Adherence February 2014

in Grantee Publication by Choudhry, N.K., Fischer, M.A., Smith, B.F., et al.

Value-based insurance design (VBID) plans selectively lower cost sharing to increase medication adherence. In this study, HCFO grantees evaluated seventy-six plans introduced by a large pharmacy benefit manager and highlight plan features associated with greater medication adherence.
Value-Based Insurance Design Program in North Carolina Increased Medication Adherence But Was Not Cost Neutral February 2014

in Grantee Publication by Maciejewski, M.L., Wansink, D., Lindquist, J.H., Parker, J.C., Farley, J.F.

Value-based insurance design (VBID) has shown promise for improving medication adherence by lowering or eliminating patients’ payments for some medications. In this study, HCFO grantees use the Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina’s VBID program to examine if eliminating copayments for generic medications and reducing copays for brand-name medications will increase medication adherence.
Choosing Wisely — The Politics and Economics of Labeling Low-Value Services January 2014

in Grantee Publication by Morden, N.E., Colla, C.H., Sequist, T.D., Rosenthal, M.B.,

With its Choosing Wisely campaign, the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Foundation boldly invited professional societies to own their role as “stewards of finite health care resources.” In this perspective, HCFO grantees review the aims of the Choosing Wisely campaign and describe the challenges of identifying low-value services with the potential for significant cost-savings.
Bridging Research and Policy to Advance Medicare’s Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program January 2014

in Policy Brief by Bernstein, J.

This report summarizes the discussion from a November 2013 meeting where health care practitioners, administrators, clinical and health services researchers, and policy experts from private sector and government agencies and offices discussed the implementation of Medicare's Hospital Readmission Reduction Program and developed actionable recommendations for refining the program going forward.
Insuring Parents and Children Under Health Reform: Implications for Family Costs and Coverage January 2014

in Research Headlines by By HCFO Staff

Beginning in 2014, many low- to middle-income families are gaining health care coverage with help from provisions in the Affordable Care Act. These include the availability of subsidized private coverage in the state and federal marketplaces, as well as the expansion of the Medicaid program in more than two dozen states...
Who Really Pays for Medicaid: Intended and Unintended Consequences of the Matching Grant January 2014

in Grantee Publication by Adams, E.K., Ketsche, P.G., and Minyard, K.J.

The goal of the Medicaid intergovernmental matching grant is to stimulate state spending while achieving some level of beneficiary and taxpayer equity. This study estimates federal and state Medicaid tax burdens per family and discusses intended and unintended consequences of the matching grant.
Paying physician group practices for quality: A statewide quasi-experiment December 2013

in Grantee Publication by Conrad, D.A., Grembowski, D., Perry, L. et al.

This article presents the results of a unique quasi-experiment of the effects of a large-scale pay-for-performance (P4P) program implemented by a leading health insurer in Washington state during 2001–2007.
The Role of Population Health in Geographic Variation in Medicare Costs November 2013

in Study Snapshot by HCFO

While large geographic variation in Medicare costs is widely recognized, the size and source of the variation has been subject to debate. This study examined and compared alternative approaches to case-mix adjustment to inform geographic variation estimates and draw policy inferences.
What Happens When Medicare Cuts Hospital Prices? Assessing the Impact on Inpatient Discharges Among the Elderly November 2013

in Findings Brief by HCFO

Among the major provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) is the tightening of Medicare payment policy. This policy change is expected to reduce Medicare expenditures by $379 billion from 2012 through 2021, according to estimates by the Congressional Budget Office. However, the implications for provider behavior and the care received by patients are unclear...
Can Economic Factors Influence the Choice of Prostate Cancer Treatment? November 2013

in Research Headlines by By HCFO Staff

An article in the Los Angeles Times reports on the decision by Blue Shield of California to stop covering proton beam therapy for early-stage prostate cancer. In an ongoing HCFO-funded study, Jack Hadley, Ph.D., George Mason University, is examining factors that may influence the type of prostate cancer treatment received by Medicare beneficiaries...