Researchers at Johns Hopkins University Target COVID-19 (Financial Risk for Covid-19-like Respiratory Hospitalizations In Consumer-directed Health Plans)

2020 SEP 17 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- Current study results on Coronavirus - COVID-19 have been published. According to news reporting originating in Baltimore, Maryland, by NewsRx journalists, research stated, “This study aims to quantify out-of-pocket spending associated with respiratory hospitalizations for conditions similar to those caused by coronavirus disease 2019 and to compare out-of-pocket spending differences among those enrolled in consumer-directed health plans and in traditional, low-deductible plans. This study used deidentified administrative claims from the OptumLabs Data Warehouse (January 1, 2016-August 31, 2019) to identify patients with a respiratory hospitalization.”

The news reporters obtained a quote from the research from Johns Hopkins University, “It compared unadjusted out-of-pocket spending among consumer-directed health plan enrollees with that among traditional plan enrollees using difference of mean significance tests and repeated the analysis separately by age category and calendar year quarter. These data were collected on a rolling basis by OptumLabs and were analyzed in March 2020. Commercially insured consumer-directed health plan enrollees had significantly higher out-of-pocket spending than traditional plan enrollees, and these differences were largest among younger populations. The largest difference in out-of-pocket spending occurred during the first half of the year. Consumer-directed health plan enrollees may experience differential financial burden from a hospitalization related to coronavirus disease 2019. Although some insurers are waiving cost-sharing payments for coronavirus disease 2019 treatment, self-insured employers remain exempt.”

According to the news reporters, the research concluded: “As of now, policy responses may be insufficient to reduce the financial burden on consumer-directed health plans enrollees with respiratory hospitalizations related to coronavirus disease 2019.”

For more information on this research see: Financial Risk for Covid-19-like Respiratory Hospitalizations In Consumer-directed Health Plans. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 2020;59(3):445-448. American Journal of Preventive Medicine can be contacted at: Elsevier Science Inc, Ste 800, 230 Park Ave, New York, NY 10169, USA. (Elsevier - www.elsevier.com; American Journal of Preventive Medicine - http://www.journals.elsevier.com/american-journal-of-preventive-medicine/)

Our news correspondents report that additional information may be obtained by contacting Matthew D. Eisenberg, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Sch Publ Hlth, Dept. of Health Policy and Management, 624 North Broadway, Hampton House 406, Baltimore, MD 21205, United States. Additional authors for this research include Colleen L. Barry, Cameron L. Schilling and Alene Kennedy-Hendricks.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2020.05.008. 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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