National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report
Latest available findings on quality of and access to health care
Data
- Data Infographics
- Data Visualizations
- Data Tools
- Data Innovations
- All-Payer Claims Database
- Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP)
- Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS)
- AHRQ Quality Indicator Tools for Data Analytics
- State Snapshots
- United States Health Information Knowledgebase (USHIK)
- Data Sources Available from AHRQ
Search All Research Studies
AHRQ Research Studies
Sign up: AHRQ Research Studies Email updates
Research Studies is a compilation of published research articles funded by AHRQ or authored by AHRQ researchers.
Results
1 to 12 of 12 Research Studies DisplayedAbdus S
AHRQ Author: Abdus S
Financial burdens of out-of-pocket prescription drug expenditures under high-deductible health plans.
This study examines financial burdens of out-of-pocket prescription drug expenditures across different levels of deductibles, focusing on low-income adults with multiple, prevalent chronic conditions. The results of this study suggest that for low-income adults with multiple chronic conditions who are enrolled in employer-sponsored high-deductible plans, out-of-pocket prescription drug costs may still result in significant financial hardships. The key takeaway point of this paper for general internists is that for patients with chronic conditions, out-of-pocket costs of prescription drugs could be excessively burdensome if they are enrolled in high-deductible plans.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Abdus S .
Financial burdens of out-of-pocket prescription drug expenditures under high-deductible health plans.
J Gen Intern Med 2021 Sep;36(9):2903-05. doi: 10.1007/s11606-020-06226-x..
Keywords: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Health Insurance, Healthcare Costs, Medication
Hill SC, Miller GE, Ding Y
AHRQ Author: Hill SC, Miller GE, Ding Y
Net spending on retail specialty drugs grew rapidly, especially for private insurance and Medicare Part D.
This study examined net spending trends on retail specialty drugs from 2010 to 2017. Spending has been difficult to measure due to proprietary rebate payments by manufacturers by insurers, pharmacy benefit managers and state Medicaid agencies. The authors incorporated those rebates into their research. They found that specialty drugs accounted for 37.7% of retail and mail-order prescription spending net of rebates in 2016-17. The spending net of rebates tripled for Medicare Part D beneficiaries and more than doubled for people with private insurance from 2010 to 2017. Medicaid net spending of rebates had a slower increase.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Hill SC, Miller GE, Ding Y .
Net spending on retail specialty drugs grew rapidly, especially for private insurance and Medicare Part D.
Health Aff 2020 Nov;39(11):1970-76. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2019.01830..
Keywords: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Healthcare Costs, Medication, Medicare, Health Insurance
Tseng CW, Masuda C, Chen R
Impact of higher insulin prices on out-of-pocket costs in Medicare Part D.
In this study, the investigators examined how patients’ out-of-pocket costs for insulin would have dropped from 2014 to 2019 due to Part D policy changes and whether higher insulin prices offset these potential savings. The authors concluded that efforts to reduce patients’
out-of-pocket cost by closing the Medicare Part D coverage gap were largely negated by higher insulin prices.
out-of-pocket cost by closing the Medicare Part D coverage gap were largely negated by higher insulin prices.
AHRQ-funded; HS024227.
Citation: Tseng CW, Masuda C, Chen R .
Impact of higher insulin prices on out-of-pocket costs in Medicare Part D.
Diabetes Care 2020 Apr;43(4):e50-e51. doi: 10.2337/dc19-1294..
Keywords: Medication, Healthcare Costs, Medicare, Health Insurance, Policy
McClellan C, Fingar KR, Ali MM
AHRQ Author: McClellan C
Price elasticity of demand for buprenorphine/naloxone prescriptions.
In this study, using the IBM MarketScan(R) Commercial Claims and Encounters Database for individuals with employer-sponsored private health insurance coverage, the researchers examined the relationship between cost sharing and the number of buprenorphine/naloxone prescription fills using enrollee-level longitudinal fixed effects models.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: McClellan C, Fingar KR, Ali MM .
Price elasticity of demand for buprenorphine/naloxone prescriptions.
J Subst Abuse Treat 2019 Nov;106:4-11. doi: 10.1016/j.jsat.2019.08.001..
Keywords: Medication, Healthcare Costs, Health Insurance
Callaghan BC, Reynolds E, Banerjee M
Out-of-pocket costs are on the rise for commonly prescribed neurologic medications.
The purpose of this study was to determine out-of-pocket costs for neurologic medications in 5 common neurologic diseases. The investigators concluded that out-of-pocket costs for neurologic medications have increased considerably over the last 12 years, particularly for those in high-deductible health plans. Out-of-pocket costs vary widely both across and within conditions. They assert that to minimize patient financial burden, neurologists require access to precise cost information when making treatment decisions.
AHRQ-funded; HS022258.
Citation: Callaghan BC, Reynolds E, Banerjee M .
Out-of-pocket costs are on the rise for commonly prescribed neurologic medications.
Neurology 2019 May 28;92(22):e2604-e13. doi: 10.1212/wnl.0000000000007564.
.
.
Keywords: Health Insurance, Healthcare Costs, Medication, Neurological Disorders
Yazdany J, Dudley RA, Lin GA
Out-of-pocket costs for infliximab and its biosimilar for rheumatoid arthritis under Medicare Part D.
This paper discusses the out-of-pocket costs for infliximab and its biosimilar for rheumatoid arthritis under Medicare Part D. The investigators analyzed nationwide benefit design data for all Part D plans from the June 2017 Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Formulary, Pharmacy Network, and Pricing Information Files to calculate mean total cost and out-of-pocket cost requirements for infliximab-dyyb and infliximab assuming a standard 8-week dosing regimen.
AHRQ-funded; HS016772.
Citation: Yazdany J, Dudley RA, Lin GA .
Out-of-pocket costs for infliximab and its biosimilar for rheumatoid arthritis under Medicare Part D.
JAMA 2018 Sep 4;320(9):931-33. doi: 10.1001/jama.2018.7316..
Keywords: Healthcare Costs, Health Insurance, Medicare, Medication, Arthritis
Karter AJ, Parker MM, Solomon MD
Effect of out-of-pocket cost on medication initiation, adherence, and persistence among patients with type 2 diabetes: the Diabetes Study of Northern California (DISTANCE).
This study estimated the effect of out-of-pocket (OOP) cost on nonadherence to classes of cardiometabolic medications among patients with diabetes. Primary nonadherence (never dispensed) increased monotonically with OOP cost after adjusting for demographics, neighborhood socioeconomic status, Medicare, medical financial assistance, OOP maximum, deductibles, mail order pharmacy incentive and use, drug type, generic or brand, day's supply, and comorbidity index.
AHRQ-funded; HS022408.
Citation: Karter AJ, Parker MM, Solomon MD .
Effect of out-of-pocket cost on medication initiation, adherence, and persistence among patients with type 2 diabetes: the Diabetes Study of Northern California (DISTANCE).
Health Serv Res 2018 Apr;53(2):1227-47. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.12700.
.
.
Keywords: Diabetes, Healthcare Costs, Health Insurance, Medication, Patient Adherence/Compliance
Zullo AR, Howe CJ, Galarraga O
Estimating the effect of health insurance on personal prescription drug importation.
Personal prescription drug importation occurs in the United States because of the high cost of U.S. medicines and lower cost of foreign equivalents. The investigators used inverse probability weighted marginal structural models and data on 87,494 individuals from the 2011-2013 National Health Interview Survey to estimate the marginal association between no health insurance and importation within U.S. subpopulations.
AHRQ-funded; HS022998.
Citation: Zullo AR, Howe CJ, Galarraga O .
Estimating the effect of health insurance on personal prescription drug importation.
Med Care Res Rev 2017 Apr;74(2):178-207. doi: 10.1177/1077558716629039..
Keywords: Health Insurance, Healthcare Costs, Medication
Yeung K, Basu A, Marcum ZA
Impact of a value-based formulary in three chronic disease cohorts.
This study assessed the impact of a value based formulary (VBF) on medication adherence and patient and health plan expenditures on 3 chronic disease states: diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia. The investigators measured medication expenditures from member, health plan, and member-plus-health plan (overall) perspectives and medication adherence as proportion of days covered. They conducted an exploratory analysis of medication utilization classifying medications according to whether co-payments moved up or down in the year following VBF implementation.
AHRQ-funded; HS022982.
Citation: Yeung K, Basu A, Marcum ZA .
Impact of a value-based formulary in three chronic disease cohorts.
Am J Manag Care 2017 Mar; 23(3 Suppl):S46-s53..
Keywords: Chronic Conditions, Health Insurance, Patient Adherence/Compliance, Medication, Healthcare Costs
Shih YC, Smieliauskas F, Geynisman DM
Trends in the cost and use of targeted cancer therapies for the privately insured nonelderly: 2001 to 2011.
This study sought to define and identify drivers of trends in cost and use of targeted therapeutics among privately insured nonelderly patients with cancer receiving chemotherapy between 2001 and 2011. It found a large increase in the use of targeted intravenous anticancer medications and a gradual increase in targeted oral anticancer medications; targeted therapies accounted for 63 percent of all chemotherapy expenditures in 2011.
AHRQ-funded; HS018535; HS020263.
Citation: Shih YC, Smieliauskas F, Geynisman DM .
Trends in the cost and use of targeted cancer therapies for the privately insured nonelderly: 2001 to 2011.
J Clin Oncol 2015 Jul 1;33(19):2190-6. doi: 10.1200/jco.2014.58.2320..
Keywords: Healthcare Costs, Cancer, Health Insurance, Medication
Trish E, Joyce G, Goldman DP
Specialty drug spending trends among Medicare and Medicare Advantage enrollees, 2007-11.
The authors analyzed trends in specialty drug spending among Medicare beneficiaries ages sixty-five and older using 2007-11 pharmacy claims data. They found that annual specialty drug spending per beneficiary who used specialty drugs increased considerably during the study period, but specialty drugs accounted for less than ten percent of total drug spending per beneficiary. Additionally, in 2011, cost-sharing reductions under the Affordable Care Act significantly reduced specialty drug users' out-of-pocket burden, which decreased 26 percent from 2010.
AHRQ-funded; HS000046.
Citation: Trish E, Joyce G, Goldman DP .
Specialty drug spending trends among Medicare and Medicare Advantage enrollees, 2007-11.
Health Aff 2014 Nov;33(11):2018-24. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2014.0538.
.
.
Keywords: Healthcare Costs, Health Insurance, Medicare, Medication
Starner CI, Alexander GC, Bowen K
Specialty drug coupons lower out-of-pocket costs and may improve adherence at the risk of increasing premiums.
The investigators examined insurers' role in maintaining the affordability and accessibility of specialty drugs while maximizing their value. They found that drug coupons accounted for $21.2 million of patients' $35.3 million annual out-of-pocket costs. In the vast majority of cases, coupons reduced monthly cost sharing to less than $250, a point at which patients were far less likely to abandon therapy with biologic anti-inflammatory drugs or with drugs for multiple sclerosis. They highlighted that, by reducing cost sharing, coupons may also circumvent efforts to encourage patients to use the most cost-effective drugs.
AHRQ-funded; HS018960.
Citation: Starner CI, Alexander GC, Bowen K .
Specialty drug coupons lower out-of-pocket costs and may improve adherence at the risk of increasing premiums.
Health Aff 2014 Oct;33(10):1761-9. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2014.0497.
.
.
Keywords: Healthcare Costs, Health Insurance, Medication, Patient Adherence/Compliance