Study Results from University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) in the Area of Managed Care Reported (The Diabetes Health Plan and Medication Adherence Among Individuals With Low Incomes): Managed Care

2022 MAY 30 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- Investigators publish new report on Managed Care. According to news reporting out of Los Angeles, California, by NewsRx editors, research stated, “To test the impact of the Diabetes Health Plan (DHP), a diabetes-specific insurance plan that lowers out-of-pocket costs for diabetes-related medications and clinical visits, on adherence to oral hypoglycemic medications among low-income adults with Type 2 Diabetes (T2DM). Cohort of adults (18-64) with T2DM, an annual household income <USD 30,000, and who were continuously enrolled in an employer-sponsored UnitedHealthcare plan for at least two years between 2009 and 2014.”

Financial supporters for this research include Centers for Disease Control & Prevention - USA, NIH National Institute on Aging (NIA).

Our news journalists obtained a quote from the research from the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), “We employed a linear regression Difference-In-Differences (DID) approach with a matched comparison group. To assess for differential DHP effects across adherent versus non-adherent patients, we ran a Difference-in-Difference-in-Differences (DDD) analysis by including an interaction term that included indicators for DHP exposure status and time, and low versus high baseline medication adherence. Data Collection The analytic data set is limited to employer groups that purchased the DHP and standard benefit plans from UnitedHealthcare, had internal pharmacy contracts; complete pharmacy claims data, and sufficient medical claims and lab data to identify employees and their dependents with T2DM. Our DID analysis did not show improved medication adherence associated with employer DHP adoption. However, the DDD model suggested a difference between DHP-exposed and comparison beneficiaries when comparing the relative effect on individuals who were adherent versus non-adherent at baseline, as suggested by the significant three-way interaction term (10.2,p = 0.028). This effect was driven by the 8.2 percentage point increase in medication adherence for the DHP subsample that was non-adherent at baseline. The DHP may benefit low-income patients with low baseline medication adherence.”

According to the news editors, the research concluded: “Value-based insurance design may be an important strategy for mitigating income disparities in T2DM outcomes.”

This research has been peer-reviewed.

For more information on this research see: The Diabetes Health Plan and Medication Adherence Among Individuals With Low Incomes. Health Services Research, 2022. Health Services Research can be contacted at: Wiley, 111 River St, Hoboken 07030-5774, NJ, USA. (Wiley-Blackwell - http://www.wiley.com/; Health Services Research - http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1475-6773)

Our news journalists report that additional information may be obtained by contacting Kimberly Danae Cauley Narain, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, Dept. of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine and Health Services Research, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States. Additional authors for this research include Norman Turk, O. Kenrik Duru, Tannaz Moin, Carol M. Mangione and Sam Ho.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1111/1475-6773.13992. 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.)