Studies from Anthem Inc. Reveal New Findings on COVID-19 (The Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic On Health Care Utilization Among Insured Individuals With Common Chronic Conditions): Coronavirus – COVID-19

2023 MAY 23 (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 out of Indianapolis, Indiana, by NewsRx editors, research stated, “The COVID pandemic has had a significant impact on the US health care system. Our primary objective was to understand the impact of the COVID pandemic on non-COVID-related health care utilization among insured individuals with chronic conditions.”

Our news journalists obtained a quote from the research from Anthem Inc., “Our secondary objective was to examine the differential impact by individual characteristics. Main Data Source: Medical and pharmacy claims data for individuals enrolled in a large insurer across the United States. A retrospective and repeated cross-sectional study. Overall and condition-specific health care utilization and cost metrics in (1) March 1 to June 15 and (2) June 16 to September 30, 2020 were compared with the same months during 2016-2019. Members of all ages with a diagnosis of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or chronic kidney disease with commercial or Medicare Advantage insurance. Most non-COVID-related health care utilization decreased drastically on March 1 to June 15, 2020 [odds ratio (OR) range across condition-specific tests: 0.55-0.69; incidence rate ratio (IRR) range for hospitalization/emergency department (ED) visit/outpatient visit: 0.65-0.77] but returned to closer to pre-COVID levels by June 16 to September 30, 2020 [OR range across condition-specific tests: 0.93-1.08; IRR range for hospitalization/ED visit/outpatient visit: 0.77-0.97]. Our study found an enormous increase in telehealth use on March 1 to June 15, 2020 (90-170 times prepandemic levels). A differential impact was observed by age, sex, region of residence, and insurance type.”

According to the news editors, the research concluded: “Further investigation is needed to assess the impact of these changes in health care utilization on long-term health outcomes.”

This research has been peer-reviewed.

For more information on this research see: The Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic On Health Care Utilization Among Insured Individuals With Common Chronic Conditions. Medical Care, 2022;60(9):673-679. Medical Care can be contacted at: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Two Commerce Sq, 2001 Market St, Philadelphia, PA 19103, USA. (Lippincott Williams and Wilkins - www.lww.com; Medical Care - http://journals.lww.com/lww-medicalcare/pages/default.aspx)

Our news journalists report that additional information may be obtained by contacting Yeunkyung Kim, Anthem Inc., Indianapolis, IN, United States. Additional authors for this research include Aliza Gordon, Kathryn Rowerdink, Laura Herrera Scott and Winnie Chi.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1097/mlr.0000000000001747. 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.

(Our reports deliver fact-based news of research and discoveries from around the world.)