The American journal of managed care
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To examine the relationship between preventive dental visits (PDVs) and medical expenditures while mitigating bias from unobserved confounding factors. ⋯ This is the first study to present estimates with causal inference from a quasi-experimental study of the effect of PDVs on overall medical expenditures. We observed that prior- or same-year PDVs were not related to overall medical or pharmacy expenditures.
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To use publicly available price transparency data files to establish empirical regularities about hospital-insurer contracting. ⋯ Hospital-insurer contracts dictate the flow and structure of a significant portion of total health care expenditure in the US. Increased attention by both researchers and policy makers would lead to a greater understanding of this vital-yet understudied-element of the market for hospital services.
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To describe the clinical development landscape for high-spend Medicare Part D small molecule drugs and illustrate the potential impact of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA) on research and development investments toward subsequent indications. ⋯ Our analysis of clinical development for new indications reveals aspects of innovation in small molecule drugs that are at risk under the IRA. Specifically, the time lines described in this research demonstrate how the IRA may reduce economic incentives to develop multiple indications, including single-indication launches and investments in postapproval research for additional indications.
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The near-universal access to Medicare coverage at age 65 years improves access to care. However, little is known about whether Medicare eligibility promotes the diagnosis of chronic diseases. We examined the effects of Medicare eligibility at age 65 years on the diagnosis of chronic conditions. ⋯ Our findings suggest that Medicare coverage did not necessarily lead to increased diagnosis of chronic conditions. Further research is necessary to explore the underlying mechanisms behind this observation.