Dataset Information

Trends in Diabetes Treatment and Monitoring among Medicare Beneficiaries.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:Diabetes is a costly and common condition, but little is known about recent trends in diabetes management among Medicare beneficiaries. OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the use of diabetes medications and testing supplies among Medicare beneficiaries. DESIGN/SETTING:Retrospective cohort analysis of Medicare claims from 2007 to 2014. PARTICIPANTS:Traditional Medicare beneficiaries with a diagnosis of diabetes in the current or any prior year. MAIN MEASURES:We analyzed choices of first diabetes medication for those new to medication and patterns of adding medications. We also examined the use of testing supplies, use of statins and ACE inhibitors/angiotensin receptor blockers, and spending. KEY RESULTS:Diagnosed diabetes increased from 28.7% to 30.2% of beneficiaries from 2007 to 2014. The use of metformin as the most commonly prescribed first medication increased from 50.2% in 2007 to 70.2% in 2014, whereas long-acting sulfonylureas decreased from 16.6% to 8.2%. The use of thiazolidinediones fell considerably, while the use of new diabetes medication classes increased. Among patients prescribed insulin, long-acting insulin as the first choice increased substantially, from 38.9% to 56.8%, but short-acting or combination regimens remained common, particularly among older or sicker beneficiaries. Prescriptions of testing supplies for more than once-daily testing were also common. The mean total cost of diabetes medications per patient increased over the period due to the increasing use of high-cost drugs, particularly by those patients with costs above the 90th percentile of spending, although the median costs decreased for both medications and testing supplies. CONCLUSIONS:The use of metformin and long-acting insulin have increased substantially among elderly Medicare patients with diabetes, but a substantial subgroup continues to receive costly and complex treatment regimens.

SUBMITTER: Landon BE

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5880782 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Trends in Diabetes Treatment and Monitoring among Medicare Beneficiaries.

Landon Bruce E BE Zaslavsky Alan M AM Souza Jeffrey J Ayanian John Z JZ

Journal of general internal medicine 20180209 4

<h4>Background</h4>Diabetes is a costly and common condition, but little is known about recent trends in diabetes management among Medicare beneficiaries.<h4>Objective</h4>To evaluate the use of diabetes medications and testing supplies among Medicare beneficiaries.<h4>Design/setting</h4>Retrospective cohort analysis of Medicare claims from 2007 to 2014.<h4>Participants</h4>Traditional Medicare beneficiaries with a diagnosis of diabetes in the current or any prior year.<h4>Main measures</h4>We a ...[more]

PMID: 29427177

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Dataset Information

Trends in Diabetes Treatment and Monitoring among Medicare Beneficiaries.

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Trends in Diabetes Treatment and Monitoring among Medicare Beneficiaries.

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