New Multiple Myeloma Findings from Washington University School of Medicine Discussed (High-Deductible Health Plans and Out-of-Pocket Health Care Costs Among Younger Patients With Multiple Myeloma): Oncology – Multiple Myeloma

2026 JAN 22 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Stem Cell Daily -- Investigators publish new report on Oncology - Multiple Myeloma. According to news originating from St. Louis, Missouri, by NewsRx correspondents, research stated, “This study aimed to determine if high-deductible health plan (HDHP) enrollment contributes to financial burden and hinders access to care for patients with multiple myeloma (MM). Patients diagnosed with MM from 2010 to 2020 were identified in Merative MarketScan, an employer-based health insurance database.”

Our news journalists obtained a quote from the research from the Washington University School of Medicine, “Primary outcomes were total health care and out-of-pocket (OOP) costs in the year after diagnosis. Secondary outcomes included time to treatment initiation and stem-cell transplant receipt. Multivariable analyses using linear, logistic, and Cox regression were performed, as appropriate. Covariates included age, sex, year diagnosed, comorbidities, data provider, and stem-cell transplant receipt. The cohort included 4,029 patients; 17.6% were enrolled on HDHPs. HDHP enrollees were younger (mean age, 54.9 55.5 years; = .036). Over the first year, mean total and OOP costs were $406,401 in US dollars (USD) and $9,220 USD for HDHP enrollees, respectively, versus $386,802 USD ( = .027) and $7,021 USD (< .001) for the standard plan enrollees. There was no statistically significant difference in total cost (b = 11; = .999) but mean OOP costs were $2,544 USD (b = 2,544; < .001) higher for HDHP enrollees after adjusting for covariates. The additional OOP costs incurred in the first 2 months, presumably because of deductibles, and after the deductible reset. Contrary to our hypothesis, HDHPs enrollees had shorter time to treatment initiation (median, 20 22 days; hazard ratio, 1.18; < .001) and were more likely to receive a stem-cell transplant (55.1% 47.6%; odds ratio, 1.25; = .010), after adjusting for covariates.”

According to the news editors, the research concluded: “Compared with standard plan enrollees, OOP costs were higher for HDHP enrollees in the year after diagnosis, but HDHP enrollment was not associated with delays in treatment initiation or reduced access to stem-cell transplant.”

This research has been peer-reviewed.

For more information on this research see: High-Deductible Health Plans and Out-of-Pocket Health Care Costs Among Younger Patients With Multiple Myeloma. JCO Oncology Practice, 2025;22(1):151-158. JCO Oncology Practice can be contacted at: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Two Commerce Sq, 2001 Market St, Philadelphia, PA 19103, USA.

The news correspondents report that additional information may be obtained from Mengmeng Ji, Division of Public Health Sciences, Dept. of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO. Additional authors for this research include Mark Aaron Fiala, Michael Slade, John H. Huber, Yi-Hsuan Shih, Mei Wang, Graham A. Colditz, Shi-Yi Wang, Ravi Vij and Su-Hsin Chang.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1200/op-24-00978. 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.

The publisher’s contact information for the journal JCO Oncology Practice is: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Two Commerce Sq, 2001 Market St, Philadelphia, PA 19103, USA.

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