The impact of oral oncology drugs in the era of value-based care.

Abstract

15 Background: Oncology drug expenditures are a significant contributor to increasing total cost of care (TCOC). Oral oncolytics (OO), such as small molecule inhibitors (CDK 4/6 inhibitors, tyrosine kinase inhibitors, etc.), and immunomodulators, have revolutionized the treatment landscape for many cancers. We evaluated the patterns of OO use and spend for Medicare patients over time at a large community oncology practice participating in the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI)’s Value-based care (VBC) Program, the Oncology Care Model (OCM), with a focus on the seven cancers that are part of a successor model, the Enhancing Oncology Model. Methods: Using CMMI claims for attributed 6-month OCM episodes, we evaluated drug use and expenditures by performance period (PP) from July 2016 – June 2022 (11 PPs), with an emphasis on OO drugs. We used Part D expenditures as a proxy for OO. Results: From 2016-22, average TCOC per PP increased by 15.5% in the 7 EOM diagnoses (breast, lung, colon, prostate cancer, myeloma, lymphoma, and chronic leukemia). Average drug expenditures per PP grew 33% percent and represented 71% of total cost by PP11, up from 61% in PP1. Average expenditures per episode increased by 11.7% for Part B and 82.6% for Part D drugs (p<0.01). Increase in Part D drug expenditures was partly due to an increase in the number of unique oral drugs which grew by 32% over the evaluation period. The greatest increases in Part D drug expenditures occurred in breast cancer (87%) and lymphoma (153.7%). Table reports average OO expenditures per PP, percent change from PP1 to PP11, and the change in the % Part D drugs contributed to TCOC. Conclusions: Increases in drug expenditures represent the greatest impact on TCOC for cancer patients. OO medicines have an increasing role in the treatment landscape and represent a growing focus in VBC models. Utilization and cost of OO medication have a significant bearing on VBC performance. Diagnosis Avg. OO Expenditures PP1 Avg. OO Expenditures PP11 Avg. OO Expenditures Change Contribution of OO to TCOC Change from PP1 - 11 Breast $4,208 $7,869 87.0% 9.9% Leukemia $25,334 $41,128 62.3% 19.9% CRC $1,206 $2,158 78.9% 3.1% Lung $3,650 $3,625 -0.7% -2.5% Lymphoma $4,193 $10,637 153.7% 13.0% Myeloma $25,109 $39,298 56.5% 6.7% Prostate $18,815 $20,114 6.9% 3.2% Total $8,291 $15,140 82.6% 10.8%