The Impact Of Medicare's Mental Health Cost-Sharing Parity On Use Of Mental Health Care Services.
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SUBMITTER: Cook BL
PROVIDER: S-EPMC7745666 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:ImportanceA higher out-of-pocket price for mental health care may lead not only to cost savings but also to negative downstream consequences.ObjectiveTo examine the association of higher patient cost sharing with mental health care use and downstream effects, such as involuntary commitment and acute mental health care use.Design, setting, and participantsThis difference-in-differences study compared changes in mental health care use by adults, who experienced an increase in cost sharing, with changes in youths, who did not experience the increase and thus formed a control group. The study examined all 2 780 558 treatment records opened from January 1, 2010, through December 31, 2012, by 110 organizations that provide specialist mental health care in the Netherlands. Data analysis was performed from January 18, 2016, to May 9, 2017.ExposuresOn January 1, 2012, the Dutch national government increased the out-of-pocket price of mental health services for adults by up to €200 (US$226) per year for outpatient treatment and €150 (US$169) per month for inpatient treatment.Main outcomes and measuresThe number of treatment records opened each day in regular specialist mental health care, involuntary commitment, and acute mental health care, and annual specialist mental health care spending.ResultsThis study included 1 448 541 treatment records opened from 2010 to 2012 (mean [SD] age, 41.4 [16.7] years; 712 999 men and 735 542 women). The number of regular mental health care records opened for adults decreased abruptly and persistently by 13.4% (95% CI, -16.0% to -10.8%; P < .001) per day when cost sharing was increased in 2012. The decrease was substantial and significant for severe and mild disorders and larger in low-income than in high-income neighborhoods. Simultaneously, in 2012, daily record openings increased for involuntary commitment by 96.8% (95% CI, 87.7%-105.9%; P < .001) and for acute mental health care by 25.1% (95% CI, 20.8%-29.4%; P < .001). In contrast to our findings for adults, the use of regular care among youths increased slightly and the use of involuntary commitment and acute care decreased slightly after the reform. Overall, the cost-sharing reform was associated with estimated savings of €13.4 million (US$15.1 million). However, for adults with psychotic disorder or bipolar disorder, the additional costs of involuntary commitment and acute mental health care exceeded savings by €25.5 million (US$28.8 million).Conclusions and relevanceHigher cost sharing for seriously ill and low-income patients could discourage treatment of vulnerable populations and create substantial downstream costs.
| S-EPMC5710235 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundDecades-long efforts to require parity between behavioral and physical health insurance coverage culminated in the comprehensive federal Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act.ObjectivesTo determine the association between federal parity and changes in mental health care utilization and spending, particularly among high utilizers.Research designDifference-in-differences analyses compared changes before and after exposure to federal parity versus a comparison group.SubjectsCommercially insured enrollees aged 18-64 with a mental health disorder drawn from 24 states where self-insured employers were newly subject to federal parity in 2010 (exposure group), but small employers were exempt before-and-after parity (comparison group). A total of 11,226 exposure group members were propensity score matched (1:1) to comparison group members, all of whom were continuously enrolled from 1 year prepolicy to 1-2 years postpolicy.MeasuresMental health outpatient visits, out-of-pocket spending for these visits, emergency department visits, and hospitalizations.ResultsRelative to comparison group members, mean out-of-pocket spending per outpatient mental health visit declined among exposure enrollees by $0.74 (1.40, 0.07) and $2.03 (3.17, 0.89) in years 1 and 2 after the policy, respectively. Corresponding annual mental health visits increased by 0.31 (0.12, 0.51) and 0.59 (0.37, 0.81) per enrollee. Difference-in-difference changes were larger for the highest baseline quartile mental health care utilizers [year 2: 0.76 visits per enrollee (0.14, 1.38); relative increase 10.07%] and spenders [year 2: $-2.28 (-3.76, -0.79); relative reduction 5.91%]. There were no significant difference-in-differences changes in emergency department visits or hospitalizations.ConclusionsIn 24 states, commercially insured high utilizers of mental health services experienced modest increases in outpatient mental health visits 2 years postparity.
| S-EPMC6423539 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ImportanceSeveral policy proposals advocate introducing copayments for home health care in the Medicare program. To our knowledge, no prior studies have assessed this cost-containment strategy.ObjectiveTo determine the association of home health copayments with use of home health services.Design, setting, and participantsA difference-in-differences case-control study of 18 Medicare Advantage (MA) plans that introduced copayments for home health care between 2007 and 2011 and 18 concurrent control MA plans. The study included 135 302 enrollees in plans that introduced copayment and 155 892 enrollees in matched control plans.ExposuresIntroduction of copayments for home health care between 2007 and 2011.Main outcomes and measuresProportion of enrollees receiving home health care, annual numbers of home health episodes, and days receiving home health care.ResultsCopayments for home health visits ranged from $5 to $20 per visit, which were estimated to be associated with $165 (interquartile range [IQR], $45-$180) to $660 (IQR, $180-$720) in out-of-pocket spending for the average user of home health care. The increased copayment for home health care was not associated with the proportion of enrollees receiving home health care (adjusted difference-in-differences, -0.15 percentage points; 95% CI, -0.38 to 0.09), the number of home health episodes per user (adjusted difference-in-differences, 0.01; 95% CI, -0.01 to 0.03), and home health days per user (adjusted difference-in-differences, -0.19; 95% CI, -3.02 to 2.64). In both intervention and control plans and across all levels of copayments, we observed higher disenrollment rates among enrollees with greater baseline use of home health care.Conclusions and relevanceWe found no evidence that imposing copayments reduced the use of home health services among older adults. More intensive use of home health services was associated with increased rates of disenrollment in MA plans. The findings raise questions about the potential effectiveness of this cost-containment strategy.
| S-EPMC5662935 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectiveTo isolate the effect of greater inpatient cost-sharing on Medicaid entry among Medicare beneficiaries.Data sourcesMedicare administrative data (years 2007-2010) were linked to nursing home assessments and area-level socioeconomic indicators.Study designMedicare beneficiaries who are readmitted to a hospital must pay an additional deductible ($1,100 in 2010) if their readmission occurs more than 59 days following discharge. In a regression discontinuity analysis, we take advantage of this Medicare benefit feature to test whether beneficiaries with greater cost-sharing have higher rates of Medicaid enrollment.Data extraction methodsWe identified 221,248 Medicare beneficiaries with an initial hospital stay and a readmission 53-59 days later (no deductible) or 60-66 days later (charged a deductible).Principal findingsAmong beneficiaries in low-socioeconomic areas with two hospitalizations, those readmitted 60-66 days after discharge were 21 percent more likely to join Medicaid compared with those readmitted 53-59 days following their initial hospitalization (absolute difference in adjusted risk of Medicaid entry: 3.7 percent vs. 3.1 percent, p = .01).ConclusionsIncreasing Medicare cost-sharing requirements may promote Medicaid enrollment among low-income beneficiaries. Potential savings from an increased cost-sharing in the Medicare program may be offset by increased Medicaid participation.
| S-EPMC5867186 | biostudies-literature
Project description:To examine the impact of benefit generosity and household health care financial burden on the demand for specialty drugs in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).Enrollment, claims, and benefit design information for 35 large private employers during 2000-2005.We estimated multivariate models of the effects of benefit generosity and household financial burden on initiation and continuation of biologic therapies.We defined initiation of biologic therapy as first-time use of etanercept, adalimumab, or infliximab, and we constructed an index of plan generosity based on coverage of biologic therapies in each plan. We estimated the household's burden by summing up the annual out-of-pocket (OOP) expenses of other family members.Benefit generosity affected both the likelihood of initiating a biologic and continuing drug therapy, although the effects were stronger for initiation. Initiation of a biologic was lower in households where other family members incurred high OOP expenses.The use of biologic therapy for RA is sensitive to benefit generosity and household financial burden. The increasing use of coinsurance rates for specialty drugs (as under Medicare Part D) raises concern about adverse health consequences.
| S-EPMC2965502 | biostudies-other
Project description:Many older Americans do not receive needed care for mental health and substance use disorders (MHSUD), and there are substantial racial and ethnic disparities in receipt of this care across the lifespan. Medicare introduced cost-sharing parity for outpatient MHSUD care during the period 2010-14, reducing beneficiaries' out-of-pocket share of MHSUD spending from 50 percent to 20 percent. Among traditional Medicare beneficiaries ages sixty-five and older, we examined changes in MHSUD use and spending during the period 2008-18 for low-income beneficiaries with the cost-sharing reduction versus a control group of beneficiaries with free care throughout the study period among Black, Hispanic, Asian, and American Indian/Alaska Native versus White beneficiaries. Among older Medicare beneficiaries, overall use of MHSUD services increased during this period. For White beneficiaries, MHSUD cost-sharing parity was associated with an increased likelihood of having specialty MHSUD visits and medication use and a reduced likelihood of having unmonitored MHSUD medication use and MHSUD emergency department visits and hospitalizations. However, cost-sharing parity was associated with smaller or no gains in MHSUD services use for racial and ethnic minority beneficiaries compared with White beneficiaries, thus widening racial and ethnic disparities in MHSUD care.
| S-EPMC10910600 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectiveTo estimate the association between the implementation of parity in coverage for mental health and substance use disorder (MHSUD) services within the Medicaid program and MHSUD service use.Data sources/study settingWisconsin Medicaid enrollment and claims data from 2013 to 2015. In April 2014, Wisconsin Medicaid transitioned childless adult beneficiaries from coverage with limited MHSUD services to parity-consistent coverage. Preparity, they only had Medicaid coverage for MHSUD visits to psychiatrists and the emergency department, while parent beneficiaries had parity-consistent coverage.Study designThe study uses a difference-in-differences design to compare outcome changes for childless adult and parent beneficiaries.Data collection/extraction methodsWe identified 76, 569 childless adult and parent beneficiaries aged 18-64 who were continuously enrolled for the 2-year study period.Principal findingsIntroducing parity-consistent coverage within Medicaid was associated with increased utilization of Medicaid-reimbursed MHSUD services: outpatient, prescription medication, ED, and inpatient. Increased MHSUD outpatient visits were driven by increased visits to nonpsychiatrists.ConclusionsParity's effects on MHSUD service use have been studied in the context of private insurance, but its impact among Medicaid beneficiaries has not. Our findings suggest that parity implementation in Medicaid could increase access to effective MHSUD services in a high-need population.
| S-EPMC7376004 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectiveVeterans, especially those residing in rural areas, continue to underutilize mental health care. This longitudinal study assessed attitudes relevant to seeking mental health care services from the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) over 12 months, adjusting for residence.MethodsA questionnaire addressing attitudes, sociodemographic factors, residence, place identity, perceived health status and needs, and structural barriers was administered by telephone to 752 veterans with previous VHA service use. Service use data were obtained from a VHA database.ResultsIn adjusted models, four attitudes were significantly associated with underuse of VHA mental health care (no use vs. any use; no use vs. nonsustained use vs. sustained use). Higher levels of mistrust of others (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]=1.06, p=0.046), emotional stoicism (AOR=1.08, p=0.003), belief in the self-resolving nature of mental health problems (AOR=1.91, p=0.015), and belief in the efficacy of religious counseling for such problems (AOR=1.09, p=0.022) were associated with no subsequent service use versus any use. Place identity (suburban), older age, and greater need were associated with greater odds of VHA use. For the comparison of no use versus sustained use, women had lower odds of no use (AOR=0.49, p<0.001); similarly, women had lower odds of nonsustained use versus sustained use (AOR=0.45, p<0.001).ConclusionsThe association of potentially modifiable attitudes with underuse of VHA mental health services suggests that attitudes offer useful targets for efforts to increase mental health care use. That these attitudes were influential regardless of residence suggests that programs addressing attitudinal barriers can be broadly targeted.
| S-EPMC8638372 | biostudies-literature
Project description:OBJECTIVE:To assess frequency, type, and extent of behavioral health (BH) nonquantitative treatment limits (NQTLs) before and after implementation of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (MHPAEA). DATA SOURCES:Secondary administrative data for Optum carve-out and carve-in plans. STUDY DESIGN:Cross-tabulations and "two-part" regression models were estimated to assess associations of parity period with NQTLs. DATA COLLECTION/EXTRACTION METHODS:Optum provided four proprietary BH databases, including 2008-2013 data for 40 carve-out and 385 carve-in employers from Optum's claims processing databases and 2010 data from interviews conducted by Optum's parity compliance team with 49 carve-out employers. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS:Preparity, carve-out plans required preauthorization for in-network inpatient/intermediate care; otherwise coverage was denied. Postparity, 73 percent would review later by request and half charged no penalty for late authorization. Outpatient visit authorization requirements virtually disappeared. For carve-out out-of-network inpatient/intermediate care, and for carve-ins, plans changed penalties to match medical service policies, but this did not necessarily lead to fewer requirements or lower penalties. CONCLUSION:After 2011, MHPAEA was associated with the transformation of BH care management, including much less restrictive preauthorization requirements, especially for in-network care provided by carve-out plans.
| S-EPMC6232447 | biostudies-literature
Project description:With rapid growth and development in recent decades, the State of Qatar has been redefining strategies and policies towards building a world-class healthcare system. Mental health has emerged as a priority area for development. As a result, mental health services in the region are being redefined and expanded, and this was realised with the launching of the ambitious National Mental Health Strategy in 2013. Traditionally, mental healthcare in Qatar had been considered to be the remit of psychiatrists within secondary care. The new strategy supported the transition towards community-based care. It outlined a plan to design and build a comprehensive and integrated mental health system, offering treatment in a range of settings. In this article, we provide an overview of the advent of primary care mental health services in Qatar. We discuss the historical aspects of psychiatric care and development of primary care mental health services in Qatar.
| S-EPMC8274405 | biostudies-literature