Blue Cross Research Articles

SGLT2-'eyes' on the reno-protection prize: reduction of post-PCI contrast-associated AKI in diabetic patients using SGLT2 inhibitors

Abstract Background Chronic therapy with sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) is associated with long term reno-protective benefits. There are limited data on the benefits of these agents against the risk of contrast-associated acute kidney injury (CA-AKI). Purpose The goal of our study was to assess the comparative efficacy of SGLT2i for the prevention of CA-AKI in diabetic patients undergoing PCI. Methods The study population included all diabetic patients enrolled in the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Cardiovascular Consortium Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (BMC2PCI) registry, a clinical registry of all PCI cases at non-federal hospitals in the state of Michigan, USA. Included patients underwent PCI between January 2022 and September 2023. Patients on dialysis were excluded. Predicted AKI risk was calculated using a previously validated and published machine learning BMC2 risk model. The primary outcome of CA-AKI was defined as an elevation in serum creatinine of ≥0.5 mg/dL following PCI. Risk-adjusted AKI rates were estimated by the product of event observed/expected ratio and overall collaborative AKI rate. Propensity matching on 23 covariates was used to adjust for the non-random use of SGLT2i. Results A total of 19,078 diabetic patients were included, of whom 3,087 (16.2%) were prescribed SGLT2i prior to PCI. Patients treated with SGLT2i were younger (66.1 vs 68.3 years), more likely to be men (73.3% vs 65.3%), have heart failure (50.4% vs 42.4%), have prior PCI (58.4% vs 48.8%), and have co-prescription of insulin (43.8% vs 37.3%) (p<0.001 for all). After propensity matching, no significant baseline difference between cohorts remained, with an absolute standardized difference less than 10% on all covariates. The pre-procedural use of SGLT2i was associated with a lower incidence of CA-AKI in unadjusted analysis (2.7% vs 3.8%, p=0.003) and after adjusting for the baseline predicted risk of CA-AKI (2.2% vs 2.8%, adjusted OR 0.69, 95% CI 0.54-0.89, p=0.0045). In a propensity-matched analysis, the use of SGLT2i was strongly associated with a reduced adjusted risk for CA-AKI (2.2 % vs 2.8%, adjusted OR 0.72, 95% CI 0.62-0.84, p=0.026). Conclusions Among patients with diabetes presenting for PCI, pre-procedural use of SGLT2i was associated with a significant reduction in the risk of CA-AKI. These results should compel further investigation into the beneficial effects of SGLT2 inhibitors in reducing the risk of CA-AKI.

Launching Financial Incentives for Physician Groups to Improve Equity of Care by Patient Race and Ethnicity.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (BCBSMA), a large commercial health insurer, is using financial incentives to advance equity of care by patient race and ethnicity. Understanding experiences of this payer and its contracted physician groups can inform efforts elsewhere. We qualitatively assess physician groups' barriers and facilitators of planning and implementing BCBSMA's financial incentives to improve equity of ambulatory care quality by patient race and ethnicity. Key informant interviews (n = 44) of the physician group, BCBSMA, and external stakeholders were conducted, equity initiative meetings were observed, and documents were analyzed to identify barriers and facilitators of designing and preparing for financial incentives to advance racial equity. Physician group experiences of preparing for and responding to financial incentives for equity improvement were assessed. Analyses revealed 1) the central importance of valid and reliable equity performance measurement and carefully designed equity improvement incentives for physician group buy-in, 2) that prior to implementing financial incentives for equity improvement, physician groups needed to improve their quality management systems and the accuracy and completeness of patient race and ethnicity data, and 3) physician groups' populations served, baseline maturity of quality management systems, and efforts to assess and address patients' social risk factors were central to consider to plan for physician group financial incentives to improve racial equity. Given the major infrastructure investments and organizational change management resources required of physician groups to participate in a financial incentive program designed to reward equity improvement, alignment of equity measurement and performance requirements across payers would facilitate physician groups' engagement in efforts to improve quality of care for racial and ethnic minority patients.

Statistical Analysis of Telehealth Use and Pre- and Postpandemic Insurance Coverage in Selected Health Care Specialties in a Large Health Care System in Arkansas: Comparative Cross-Sectional Study.

The COVID-19 pandemic triggered policy changes in 2020 that allowed insurance companies to reimburse telehealth services, leading to increased telehealth use, especially in rural and underserved areas. However, with many emergency rules ending in 2022, patients and health care providers face potential challenges in accessing these services. This study analyzed telehealth use across specialties in Arkansas before and after the pandemic (2017-2022) using data from electronic medical records from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Medical Center. We explored trends in insurance coverage for telehealth visits and developed metrics to compare the performance of telehealth versus in-person visits across various specialties. The results inform insurance coverage decisions for telehealth services. We used pre- and postpandemic data to determine the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and changes in reimbursement policies on telehealth visits. We proposed a framework to calculate 3 appointment metrics: indirect waiting time, direct waiting time, and appointment length. Statistical analysis tools were used to compare the performance of telehealth and in-person visits across the following specialties: obstetrics and gynecology, psychiatry, family medicine, gerontology, internal medicine, neurology, and neurosurgery. We used data from approximately 4 million in-person visits and 300,000 telehealth visits collected from 2017 to 2022. Our analysis revealed a statistically significant increase in telehealth visits across all specialties (P<.001), showing an 89% increase from 51,589 visits in 2019 to 97,461 visits in 2020, followed by a 21% increase to 117,730 visits in 2021. Around 92.57% (134,221/145,001) of telehealth patients from 2020 to 2022 were covered by Medicare, Blue Cross and Blue Shield, commercial and managed care, Medicaid, and Medicare Managed Care. In-person visits covered by Medicare and Medicaid decreased by 15%, from 313,196 in 2019 to 264,696 in 2022. During 2020 to 2022, about 22.84% (33,123/145,001) of total telehealth visits during this period were covered by Medicare and 53.58% (86,317/161,092) were in psychiatry, obstetrics and gynecology, and family medicine. We noticed a statistically significant decrease (P<.001) in the average indirect waiting time for telehealth visits, from 48.4 to 27.7 days, and a statistically significant reduction in appointment length, from 93.2 minutes in 2020 to 39.59 minutes in 2022. The indirect waiting time for psychiatry telehealth visits was almost 50% shorter than that for in-person visits. These findings highlight the potential benefits of telehealth in providing access to health care, particularly for patients needing psychiatric care. Reverting to prepandemic regulations could negatively affect Arkansas, where many live in underserved areas. Our analysis shows that telehealth use remained stable beyond 2020, with psychiatry visits continuing to grow. These findings may guide insurance and policy decisions in Arkansas and other regions facing similar access challenges.

The Michigan Collaborative for Type 2 Diabetes (MCT2D): Development and implementation of a statewide collaborative quality initiative

BackgroundType 2 diabetes (T2D) is one of the most prevalent chronic diseases worldwide and a leading cause of cardiorenal disease and mortality. Only one-third of individuals with T2D receive care as recommended by the American Diabetes Association’s clinical practice guidelines. Effective strategies are needed to accelerate the implementation of guideline concordant T2D care.MethodsThe Michigan Collaborative for Type 2 Diabetes (MCT2D) is a statewide population health collaborative quality initiative (CQI) developed to improve the care of all people with T2D in Michigan. MCT2D has developed a learning health system with physician organizations and their constituent practices to support quality improvement initiatives focused on (1) improving use of guideline-directed pharmacotherapy to improve cardiorenal outcomes, (2) increasing evidence-based use of continuous glucose monitoring, and (3) supporting use of lower carbohydrate eating patterns.ResultsBetween 2021 and 2022, MCT2D recruited 28 of the 40 Michigan-based physician organizations participating in Blue Cross’ Physician Group Incentive Program with 336 constituent practices and 1357 physicians in primary care (304), endocrinology (21) and nephrology (11). In January 2022, baseline data included a sample of 96,140 unique individuals with T2D. The baseline HbA1c was ≤ 7.0% for 66.3% of patients (n = 32,787), while 14.9% of patients had a most recent HbA1c ≥ 8.0% (n = 7,393). The most recent body mass index (BMI) was ≥ 30.0 for 64.8% of patients (n = 38,516).DiscussionMCT2D has organized a statewide collaborative to recruit and engage a diverse and large set of physician organizations and their constituent practices. This is a promising opportunity to accelerate adoption of guideline-concordant care for people with T2D and may be a model for other state or regional collaboratives. Future directions include specific evidence-based interventions targeted at reducing diabetes-linked comorbidities and associated healthcare costs as well as strategies focused on T2D prevention among at-risk populations.

8768 Initiation of Exogenous Sex Hormones in a Pediatric Gender Clinic

Abstract Disclosure: C.M. Roberts: None. M.M. Knoll: None. G. Robertson: None. A. Egan: None. C. Moser: None. Introduction: The demographics of patients seeking care for gender dysphoria have changed significantly since care was started in 1987. The criteria for prescribing sex hormones have also evolved to allow a greater range of patients to receive gender-affirming hormones. We examined factors associated with prescription of gender-affirming hormones to patients presenting for gender-affirming care our clinic. Methods: Secondary analysis of sex hormone initiation as a minor among 14-17-year-old adolescents diagnosed with gender dysphoria, seen in the pediatric gender clinic between 2/19/2018 and 7/20/2022. We extracted demographic variables, appointment dates, and sex hormone prescription data from our electronic medical record. We collected patient reports of gender identity and suicidal behavior, and parent and adolescent reports of general adolescent well-being, months of gender dysphoria and social transition, and parental support for the adolescent’s gender identity from electronic clinic surveys. Results: We identified 273 adolescent-parent dyads with complete data. Most of our sample were assigned female at birth (74.4%), transgender male (59.3%), and white (83.5%) adolescents who lived in urban (86.4%) and lower-middle-income (64.5%) areas. The average age was 15.9+/-1.1 years. A minority of adolescents reported recent suicidal ideation 60/273 (22%), and prior suicide attempts 20/273 (7%). Parents reported a shorter duration of gender dysphoria (-16.7 months (95%CI: -22.0, -11.5)) and social transition (-4.7: -6.5, -3.0), and higher levels of parental support than adolescents. Approximately half, 146/273 (53.5%), of adolescents started sex hormones. The average age at initiation was 16.5 years +/- 0.9. Age at presentation, length of gender dysphoria or social transition, and the presence of suicidal ideation or attempts were not associated with initiation of sex hormones. Assigned males (OR:1.82:95%CI 1.04, 3.19), adolescents with higher parent-reported parental support for the adolescent’s identity (1.03:1.01, 1.04), and adolescents with private insurance rather than Medicaid (Blue Cross- 5.39:2.73, 10.64) were more likely to start sex hormones as a minor. Conclusion: Published criteria for the initiation of sex hormones among adolescents with gender dysphoria, including age, persistence of dysphoria, and the presence of suicidality, did not predict the prescription of sex hormones to minors in our clinic. Parent-reported support for the adolescent’s gender identity played a small role in predicting the prescription of hormones, but male sex assigned at birth and having private health insurance played larger roles. Further exploration of these findings is needed to ensure equity in the treatment of gender dysphoria. Presentation: 6/3/2024

A-208 Price Transparency of Laboratory Tests Across all Licensed Hospitals in Tennessee

Abstract Background The Hospital Price Transparency Final Rule federally mandates hospitals to provide gross price, discounted cash, payer-specific negotiated charges, and de-identified minimum and maximum negotiated rates within a machine-readable file and user-friendly display of shoppable services. Since implementation, compliance has been low and price variability has continued. Methods To assess hospital compliance, barriers to pricing information, and price variability in Tennessee, all hospitals websites were queried for gross, cash, and Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) prices for 8 high-frequency laboratory tests in both mandated pricing sources. Barriers including click counts, data availability, and intra-hospital price discrepancies were noted. Results Only 2.8% of the 145 hospitals were compliant with federal law. Sub-analyses of the available machine-readable files, price estimators, and shoppable services files, only 50.4%, 4.9%, and 21.4% were found to be compliant, respectively. Barriers to pricing information included requiring protected health information (55.9%), missing at least 1 pricing source (7.6%), having no pricing sources available (6.2%), and involving more than 3 clicks to access cash price in machine-readable files (54.1%) and price estimators (68.6%.) The median total number of clicks from homepage to cash price in the machine-readable file and price estimator was 4 (range: 1-7) and 10.5 (range: 6-15), respectively. Average intra-hospital discrepancy for Basic Metabolic Panel cash prices across pricing sources was $101.30 (range: $0-1012.40). Price variability across Tennessee is shown in Figure 1. Maximum to minimum price multiples ranged from 29 to 114 for gross price, 57 to 243 for cash price, and 25 to 115 for BCBS price indicating price variability. Gross and cash prices were affected by median household income of the hospital’s county. Conclusions Our study shows low compliance with price transparency mandates, inequitable pricing affected by median household income, inconsistent and inaccessible pricing, and continued price variability in Tennessee.

Health Insurance Literacy Among Young Adults: The Role of Search Generative Experience and AI

ABSTRACTDespite global recognition of health as a fundamental human right, disparities persist due to gaps in Health Insurance Literacy (HIL). This study investigates HIL among young adults, focusing on their search behaviors and the impact of Search Generative Experience (SGE) and Generative AI. Participants displayed skepticism towards sponsored ads, preferring unbiased sources on government websites. Brand familiarity, notably with Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS), also influenced decision‐making. Engagement with SGE for simplified explanations suggests its potential to impact HIL. Transparent and user‐centered interventions are crucial for improving HIL, contributing to more informed healthcare decisions and reduced disparities in access to care.

Unlocking success: Full year quality and utilization metrics of payer-provider OMH partnership.

41 Background: For more than a decade, CMS and commercial payers have sought to engage provider organizations in value-based cancer care payment models (VBPMs). Success of VBPMs requires payer/provider alignment on quality/utilization measures indicative of high-value care and the efficiency of data exchange between providers and payers. The following describes several key metrics from the first full year 2022 of the Tennessee Oncology (TO) and BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee (BCBST) Oncology Medical Home (OMH) partnership. Methods: TO and BCBST implemented reporting methodologies for a combination of practice-reported quality and utilization measures and payer claims-based measures: Patient experience, Pathway adherence, Distress screening / interventions, Admissions/1000 patients, ED visits/1000 patients, Imaging utilization, and Observation stays. Bi-weekly meetings between practice and payer were necessary to review quality/utilization measure reporting, coordinate overall program administration, and monitor member attribution for care management and performance-based payments. Results: TO/BCBST co-developed a VBPM that included bi-directional reporting of practice-reported quality and utilization measures and payer claims-based measures. Technical challenges in data sharing and reporting occurred frequently and required regular troubleshooting. Questions regarding trends in observed data arose frequently for both TO and BCBST and required regular discussions between clinical/operational leaders of payer and practice (Table). Conclusions: These data suggest that payers and community oncology practices can co-develop value-based payment models that yield transparency in quality and utilization data reporting, and observed differences in performance and cost-efficiency among different practices in a market. Payers can gain increased transparency in quality and cost-efficiency of cancer care for their members. Practices can leverage care management payments and performance-based payments to support care delivery and quality/utilization data reporting improvements. Provider and payer capabilities to execute transparent QM/UM reporting is a major challenge in implementing OMH programs. 2022 OMH results. Measure % higher or lower than benchmarks Admissions /k -7.0 ED visit /k -8.4 Imaging utilization + 9.4 Observation stays -10.0 Patient experience NA Pathway adherence NA Distress screening / interventions NA Hospice reporting NA NA = not applicable, no benchmark data available/measured; /k = per 1000 patients; negative = lower than benchmarks; positive = higher than benchmarks.

USPSTF Colorectal Cancer Screening Recommendation and Uptake for Individuals Aged 45 to 49 Years

In May 2021, the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) issued a grade B recommendation encouraging colorectal cancer (CRC) screening among average-risk individuals aged 45 to 49 years. The patterns of screening uptake and possible socioeconomic disparities in screening in this age group remain unknown. To evaluate changes in CRC screening uptake among average-risk individuals aged 45 to 49 years after the USPSTF recommendation was issued in 2021. This retrospective cohort study used deidentified claims data from commercially insured Blue Cross Blue Shield beneficiaries aged 45 to 49 years across the US between January 1, 2017, and December 31, 2022. Publication of the May 2021 USPSTF CRC screening recommendation for adults aged 45 to 49 years. Absolute and relative changes in screening uptake were compared between a 20-month period preceding (May 1, 2018, to December 31, 2019) and a 20-month period following (May 1, 2021, to December, 31, 2022) the USPSTF recommendation. Interrupted time-series analysis and autoregressive integrated moving average models were used to evaluate changes in screening rates, adjusting for temporal autocorrelation and seasonality. In this cohort study of 10 221 114 distinct beneficiaries aged 45 to 49 years (mean [SD] age, 47.04 [1.41] years; 51.04% female), bimonthly mean (SD) numbers of average-risk beneficiaries were 3 213 935 (31 508) and 2 923 327 (105 716) in the prerecommendation and postrecommendation periods, respectively. Mean (SD) screening uptake increased from 0.50% (0.02%) to 1.51% (0.59%) between the 2 periods (P < .001), representing an absolute change of 1.01 percentage points (95% CI, 0.62-1.40 percentage points) but no significant relative change (202.51%; 95% CI, -30.59% to 436.87%). Compared with average-risk beneficiaries residing in areas with the lowest socioeconomic status (SES), those residing in areas with the highest SES experienced the largest absolute change in screening (1.25 [95% CI, 0.77-1.74] percentage points vs 0.75 [95% CI, 0.47-1.02] percentage points), but relative changes were not significant (214.01% [95% CI, -30.91% to 461.15%] vs 167.73% [95% CI, -16.30% to 352.62%]). After the recommendation was issued, the screening uptake rate also increased fastest among average-risk beneficiaries residing in the areas with highest SES (0.24 [95% CI, 0.23-0.25] percentage points every 2 months) and metropolitan areas (0.20 [95% CI, 0.19-0.21] percentage points every 2 months). This study found that among privately insured beneficiaries aged 45 to 49 years, CRC screening uptake increased after the USPSTF recommendation, with potential disparities based on SES and locality.

Documentation of crimes against cultural heritage of Ukraine: main projects and initiatives with the support of civil society

The article analyzes the projects initiated and implemented by the public, related to the documentation of crimes against the national cultural heritage (NCH) of Ukraine in the conditions of a full-scale Russian invasion. It is noted that the activity of public organizations in documenting crimes against the Ukrainian National Security Service is conditioned by the need to form a single database of crime records of the Russian Federation, which will allow solving a number of issues that will become urgent after the end of hostilities. The classification of motives for crimes against cultural values in conditions of armed conflict is presented; the ways of accounting for cultural heritage and the principles of documenting damage to cultural heritage are outlined. It is emphasized that there is no National Blue Shield Committee in Ukraine, which is being created with the support of the Blue Shield International (BSI) by the decision of four other committees: the International Council of Museums (ICOM), the International Council for the Protection of Monuments and Historic Sites (ICOMOS), International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA). Within the scope of the powers of the official representative of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions in Ukraine, the NPA "Ukrainian Library Association", together with the official representative in Ukraine of the International Archives Committee, the State Archives Service of Ukraine, once again raised the issue of the creation of the Committee and joined the development of its charter. And although the creation of such a representation in Ukraine does not guarantee protection from Russian vandalism, the international experience of involving non-governmental organizations, representatives of authorities, cultural heritage protection bodies, the State Emergency Service, the National Police, and the Prosecutor's Office in the mission to assess the damage to the NCH in the conditions of the Russian-Ukrainian war will enable in the future, to achieve fair decisions on the implementation of the Hague Convention and to receive funding for the restoration of cultural values.

Comprehensive approach used to help youth with MH, SU issues

Focusing on the specific needs of youth with mental health and substance use issues while also addressing health care inequities are the objectives behind a program developed by Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey.

PENGENDALI PINTAR DALAM PENGONTROLAN LAMPU DAN KIPAS MENGGUNAKAN BLUETOOTH

The evolution of mobile technology has revolutionized it from a mere communication tool to a versatile platform capable of handling images, videos, documents, and controlling other devices such as TVs. The Android OS gives developers the flexibility to create applications that meet the diverse needs of users. This shift has made smartphones indispensable, supporting tasks from browsing to entertainment and productivity. The popularity of Android ensures seamless integration with existing hardware for efficient application performance. This research aims to design a smart home device control system, focusing on lights and fans via Android on an Arduino Nano microcontroller. Android's affordability and development through third-party applications make it ideal for smart home systems. Integrating the Arduino Nano and the EMS Blue Shield Bluetooth module improves convenience and energy efficiency. Its limitations include control of basic functions (lights, fan speed) and Android smartphones with Bluetooth. This study aims to design a practical control system and understand the device operation and Android communication. The test results of data transmission response time (latency) show that the average response time of the system for five days is 122.3 ms, with small variations and standard deviations between 2.81 ms and 3.92 ms. The range of response time ranged from 118 ms to 130 ms.

Costs of care during chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy in relapsed/refractory B cell lymphomas.

High upfront cost may be a barrier to adopting chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy (CAR-T) for relapsed/refractory B cell lymphoma (BCL). Data on the real-world costs are limited. Using the Blue Cross Blue Shield Axis database, we evaluated 271 commercially insured patients who received CAR-T for BCL (median age: 58 years, men: 68%, diffuse large BCL: 87%, inpatient CAR-T: 85%). Our peri-CAR-T period of interest comprised -41 to + 154 days from CAR-T index, divided into seven 28-day intervals. Median total costs were $608,100 (interquartile range: $534,100-$732,800); 8.5% of patients had total costs >$1,000,000. Median cost of CAR-T products was $402,500, and median out-of-pocket copayment was $510. Monthly costs were highest during the month of CAR-T administration (median: $521,500), with median costs <$25,000 in all other 28-day intervals. Costs of CAR-T use were substantial, largely driven by product acquisition. Future studies should examine the relation between costs, access, and financial outcomes.

CO206 The Clinical and Financial Impact of Sustained Annual Wellness Visit Engagement in the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Medicare Advantage Population

CO206 The Clinical and Financial Impact of Sustained Annual Wellness Visit Engagement in the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Medicare Advantage Population

CO57 Impact of Coexisting Mental Illnesses and Chronic Conditions on Healthcare Utilization and Cost at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana

CO57 Impact of Coexisting Mental Illnesses and Chronic Conditions on Healthcare Utilization and Cost at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana

CO113 The Financial Effect of Closing the Hypertension Blood Pressure Care Gap at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana

CO113 The Financial Effect of Closing the Hypertension Blood Pressure Care Gap at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana

EE128 Customer Service Analytics Improve Health Outcomes at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana

EE128 Customer Service Analytics Improve Health Outcomes at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana

HPR139 Examining the Intersectionality of Race, Ethnicity, and Social Vulnerabilities in Predicting Severe Maternal Morbidities Among Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Mothers

HPR139 Examining the Intersectionality of Race, Ethnicity, and Social Vulnerabilities in Predicting Severe Maternal Morbidities Among Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Mothers

Clinical large language model to predict loss to follow up for oncology patients discharged to skilled nursing facilities.

e13602 Background: The prognosis of cancer patients is heavily influenced by performance status which also informs an oncologist’s decision for initiating or continuing with cancer treatment. From SEER data, there is evidence that oncology patients who are discharged to a skilled nursing facility are less likely to receive chemotherapy and radiation. Patients with advanced cancer discharged from hospital also have a readmission rate as high as 34 percent. Those that are unlikely to follow up are a vulnerable population that should be identified to discuss how to best optimize post hospitalization care. Methods: University of Florida's Integrated Data Repository (IDR) was queried for established oncology patients at University of Florida Health from 2012 – 2023. The cohort was further narrowed down to patients who had exposures to antineoplastics within 6 months and loss to follow up was defined as not having a clinic visit within 6 months of hospital discharge. The study cohort included 194 patients and 97 patients were not lost to follow up and 97 patients were lost to follow up. Structured health data including ICD-9 and 10 codes, antineoplastic drug exposures, Area Deprivation Index (ADI), discharge vitals were extracted. Dataset was split into 70% training and 30% testing. Using logistic regression, random forest and XGBoost, loss to follow up was predicted with 5 fold cross validation and hyperparameter tuning with GridSearchCV for the best ROC AUC. Results: The median Charlson score for cohort was 11, median length of stay in the hospital was 7 days, median ED visits within 6 months was 8, median LACE score of 21. 86% of the cohort had Medicare, 6% with Medicaid, 6% Blue Cross, 2% Managed Care and 0.5% Other. There were 96 females and 98 males. 66% of the cohort was Caucasian and 31% Black, 3.9% Hispanic, 1% Asian, 0.5% multiracial. XGBoost and random forest performed better than logistic regression, both achieving a AUC ROC of 0.83 vs. 0.78. XGBoost had a higher F1 score of 0.75, sensitivity of 0.71, compared to 0.68 and 0.55 respectively for both Random Forest and logistic regression. The most important features for Random Forest were ED visits within 6 months, followed by diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, temperature then systolic blood pressure on day of discharge. The most important features for XGBoost were diagnoses of pulmonary congestion, pulmonary embolism, pleural effusion and type 2 diabetes with complications. Conclusions: Our XGBoost model achieved metrics which are in line with the higher performances seen with machine learning models predicting readmissions following hospital discharge. This serves as a good baseline model to compare against new state of the art models that incorporate unstructured data such as clinical notes and radiology image reports. These models are currently under development by the same authors using the clinical large language model GatorTron.

HPR74 Challenges Encountered When Using Required Machine-Readable Files From the 2022 Transparency in Coverage Rule: A Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Case Study

HPR74 Challenges Encountered When Using Required Machine-Readable Files From the 2022 Transparency in Coverage Rule: A Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Case Study