The American journal of managed care
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Observational Study
Experience incentivizing reduction of racial and ethnic disparities in a Medicaid hospital quality incentive program.
We aimed to describe the experience of a state Medicaid agency incentivizing reduction of racial and ethnic disparities in a hospital quality incentive program (QIP). ⋯ Construction of a composite measure, use of a summary disparity statistic, and measure selection are key considerations in the design and interpretation of equity-focused payment programs. This analysis revealed improved aggregate quality performance and a modest reduction in racial and ethnic disparities for measures included in the HD composite for at least 4 years. Further research is needed to evaluate the association between equity-oriented incentives and health disparities.
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Private managed care plans in the Medicare Advantage (MA) program have been gaining market share relative to traditional fee-for-service Medicare (TM), yet there are no obvious structural changes to Medicare that would explain this growth. Our goal is to explain the growth in MA market share during a period when it increased dramatically. ⋯ Overall, we find that MA is becoming more appealing to more educated and nonminority beneficiaries than in the past, although minority and lower-income beneficiaries are still more likely to pick the program. Over time, if preferences continue to shift, the nature of the MA program will change as it moves more toward the middle of the Medicare distribution.
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The share of Medicare stand-alone prescription drug plans with a preferred pharmacy network has grown from less than 9% in 2011 to 98% in 2021. This article assesses the financial incentives that such networks created for unsubsidized and subsidized beneficiaries and their pharmacy switching. ⋯ Preferred networks have important implications for beneficiaries' out-of-pocket spending and the low-income subsidy program. Further research is needed about the impact on the quality of beneficiaries' decision-making and cost savings to fully evaluate preferred networks.
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To (1) explore relationships among food insecurity, neighborhood disadvantage, and health care utilization in adults from a single health system and (2) determine whether food insecurity and neighborhood disadvantage predict acute health care utilization within 90 days of hospital discharge. ⋯ When considering social determinants of health for health system patients, food insecurity was a stronger predictor of acute health care utilization than was neighborhood disadvantage. Identifying patients with food insecurity and targeting appropriate interventions to high-risk populations may improve provider follow-up and acute health care utilization.
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To determine whether broad categories of criteria exist among prior authorization (PA) policies from different managed care organizations (MCOs) and to identify similarities and differences among MCO coverage requirements for medications within the calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) antagonist class. ⋯ This study identified 5 broad categories of PA criteria used by MCOs in the management of CGRP antagonists. However, within these categories, specific criteria from different MCOs varied significantly.