New Managed Care and Specialty Pharmacy Findings from University of Washington Described (Identifying and Characterizing Commercially Insured Patients With Hfpef With High Vs Low Health Care Resource Utilization): Drugs and Therapies – Managed Care and Specialty Pharmacy

2026 OCT 05 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at NewsRx Drug Daily -- New research on Drugs and Therapies - Managed Care and Specialty Pharmacy is the subject of a report. According to news reporting from Seattle, Washington, by NewsRx journalists, research stated, “Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) represents half of all HF diagnoses and is a growing public health concern. Despite therapeutic advancements, HFpEF contributes to substantial health care resource utilization (HCRU) and costs.”

The news correspondents obtained a quote from the research from the University of Washington, “Characterizing these measures and identifying potential associations in HFpEF is needed. To characterize the HCRU and costs among the bottom 10th and top 90th percentiles of total health care cost, examine associations of belonging to the 90th percentile, and analyze trends over time. We conducted a retrospective cohort study using the Merative MarketScan database to examine commercially insured adults diagnosed with HFpEF from 2014 to 2021. HCRU and costs were estimated using a Cox proportional hazards model and Kaplan-Meier sample average techniques, bootstrapping was applied to generate credible intervals. Predictors of high HCRU were identified using a multivariable logistic regression model. We had 24,071 eligible participants. The HCRU among the 90th percentile possessed an annual incremental average of 13 emergency department/urgent care visits, 3 inpatient admissions, and 30 days in the hospital. Total health care costs of the 90th percentile $378,880 higher on average than the 10th percentile. Both cohorts experienced the highest HCRU and costs the first month after diagnosis. Credible intervals of total costs from bootstrapping overlapped from 2014 to 2021. Baseline characteristics associated with the 90th percentile included female sex (odds ratio [OR] = 1.13; 95% CI = 1.1-1.2), a Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) score of 2 (OR = 3.28; 95% CI = 3.0-3.6), and a CCI score greater than 2 (OR = 18.81; 95% CI = 16.9-20.9). Comorbidities associated with the 90th percentile included atrial fibrillation (OR = 3.51; 95% CI = 2.8-4.4), loop diuretics (OR = 2.18; 95% CI = 2.0-2.4), angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitor (OR = 1.89; 95% CI = 1.1-3.2), and sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (OR = 4.48; 95% CI = 3.0-6.7). Comorbidities associated with the 10th percentile included diabetes (OR= 0.53; 95% CI=0.4-0.7), hypertension (OR =0.71; 95% CI = 0.6-0.8), and chronic kidney disease (OR = 0.63; 95% CI = 0.4-0.9). Interactions indicating multiple comorbidities were significant. Significant differences in HCRU exist between high and low-cost patients with HFpEF. However, both groups experienced their highest utilization the first month after diagnosis. Total costs remained consistent from 2014 to 2022. Strategies to reduce the risk HFpEF onset are essential for lowering health care expenditures.”

According to the news reporters, the research concluded: “Future research is needed to examine the impact of access to newer therapies.”

This research has been peer-reviewed.

For more information on this research see: Identifying and Characterizing Commercially Insured Patients With Hfpef With High Vs Low Health Care Resource Utilization. Journal of Managed Care & Specialty Pharmacy, 2025;31(8):741-751. Journal of Managed Care & Specialty Pharmacy can be contacted at: Acad Managed Care Pharmacy, 100 N Pitt St, 400, Alexandria, VA 22314-3134, USA.

Our news journalists report that additional information may be obtained by contacting Jacob Earl, University of Washington, Comparat Hlth Outcomes Policy & Econ Choice Inst, Dept. of Pharmacy, Seattle, WA 98195, United States. Additional authors for this research include Laura A. Hart and Ryan N. Hansen.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.18553/jmcp.2025.31.8.741. This DOI is a link to an online electronic document that is either free or for purchase, and can be your direct source for a journal article and its citation.

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