Health Maintenance Organization Enrollees Research Articles

Effects of socioeconomic status (SES) and healthcare resource (HCR) availability on survival in Black patients (pts) versus (vs) White pts with multiple myeloma (MM): A SEER Medicare analysis.

e13678 Background: In MM, disparities exist for overall survival (OS) by race, and many factors may contribute to these differences. This study evaluates whether SES and HCR availability impacts OS in older pts with newly diagnosed MM (NDMM) based on race. Methods: This retrospective study used linked SEER-Medicare claims (diagnosis [Dx] 6/1/2013–12/31/2017) and Area Health Resource Files (AHRFs; from 2018) to identify non-Hispanic White and non-Hispanic Black pts aged ≥66 years with NDMM. AHRFs included county-level HCR availability data (e.g. number of long-term hospital beds, medical doctors [MDs]). Continuous Medicare A and B enrollment until 12/31/2019 or preceding death was required. Pts with other cancers, Dx from death data, missing county information and enrollment in health maintenance organizations or clinical trials were excluded. Kaplan-Meier was used for unadjusted median OS and Cox proportional hazards for OS risk by race. Age, sex, race, Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), poverty, education, and HCR availability were included in the adjusted mixed effects Cox model. Results: We identified 6,609 pts with NDMM; 15.6% were Black. For Black pts vs White pts, median age at Dx was 76 vs 77 years, 57.1% vs 46.0% were female, and mean CCI was 2.1 vs 1.4 (p<.001 for all). Within census tracts, mean percentage of pts living under the poverty line and received <12 years of education was 21.2% vs 11.3% (p<.001) and 19.0% vs 11.3% (p<.001) for Black pts vs White pts, respectively. Unadjusted median OS for Black pts vs White pts was 2.76 vs 3.01 years (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.08; p=.063). In the adjusted model, several SES and HCR availability factors were significant. OS HR by race reversed directionality when adjusted for demographics, SES and HCR availability, but this was not significant (HR: 0.92; p=.12; Table). Conclusions: We found that Black pts with NDMM in SEER-Medicare claims were younger, had higher CCI, completed less education, and were more likely to live in census tracts with higher poverty percentages vs White pts. Several factors relating to SES and HCR availability significantly influenced OS and may drive disparities in care. Further research on larger datasets is needed to better understand these disparities. [Table: see text]

Abstract PO3-03-08: Use of adjuvant Capecitabine after neoadjuvant chemotherapy: A Cohort Study among Elderly Patients with Early-Stage Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Abstract Background: The use of capecitabine in the adjuvant setting in patients with residual disease after neoadjuvant chemotherapy has been incorporated into practice based on the results of the CREATE-X trial. We evaluate utilization patterns of adjuvant capecitabine use, its association with outcomes, and subsequent hospitalizations and emergency room (ER) visits among elderly patients with early-stage triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Methods: We identified patients aged ≥66, diagnosed with early-stage TNBC between 2010 and 2017 in the SEER and Texas Cancer Registry (TCR)-linked Medicare databases. All patients were treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy for localized or regional-stage disease. All patients had continuous enrollment in Medicare Parts A & B without a Health Maintenance Organization enrollment 12 months before cancer diagnosis and 12 months after cancer diagnosis. Chemotherapy administration was identified using HCPCS codes from outpatient and physician’s carrier claims. We analyzed the patterns of capecitabine use, its association with survival outcomes, and the frequency of ER visits and hospitalizations during treatment (between the first capecitabine claim and 30 days after the last claim for capecitabine). Descriptive statistics were used. Primary analyses included logistic regression, Kaplan-Meier estimates, and Cox regression models with propensity score adjustments. This study adhered to the STROBE guidelines for cohort studies. Results: 1,239 patients with localized or regional TNBC treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy were included (median 72 years). Of them, 96 (7.7%) were prescribed adjuvant capecitabine. Treatment with capecitabine was associated with recent year of diagnosis, regional disease, and residing in non-metropolitan areas. Specifically, the use of capecitabine increased from 1% in 2010 to 10% in 2016 and 21% in 2017. The median duration of capecitabine treatment was 4 cycles. In multivariable logistic regression analyses, older age was associated with decreased odds of receiving ≥4 cycles of capecitabine (OR=0.25; 95% CI: 0.11–0.60; p =0.002). Among capecitabine users, 3-year OS was 46% and 78% for patients who received 1-3 and ≥4cycles of capecitabine, respectively (p< 0.001). The 3-year estimate of BCSS was 43% and 85% respectively (p< 0.001). After multivariable adjustment for comorbidity score, stage, and propensity score, receiving ≥4 cycles of capecitabine was associated with decreased risk of death (HR=0.29; 95%CI 0.13–0.63, p=0.002) and breast cancer-specific death (HR=0.15; 95%CI: 0.05–0.51, p=0.002) compared to receiving 1-3 cycles. Twenty-seven (28%) patients had ER/hospitalization during capecitabine treatment; median time from initial capecitabine claim to ER/hospitalization was 24 days (IQ 13-39). The median number of capecitabine cycles was 3 (IQR 2-5) and 5 (IQR 3-8) for those with and without ER/hospitalization (p=0.02). The most common diagnosis codes associated with ER/hospitalization included pleural effusion, GI symptoms, pneumonia, and acute kidney failure. A higher comorbidity score at diagnosis was associated with an increased risk of ER/hospitalization (HR=2.76; 95%CI 1.05-7.28, p=0.04). Conclusion: We demonstrate an increasing trend in capecitabine utilization among elderly patients with early-stage TNBC. Although the limited sample size hindered a conclusive analysis, more cycles of capecitabine were associated with improved survival outcomes. Notably, a significant proportion of patients undergoing capecitabine treatment experienced ER/hospitalizations. These findings contribute valuable information on the risks and benefits of capecitabine treatment, aiding evidence-based decision-making to prevent serious complications. Citation Format: Marija Sullivan, Xiudong Lei, Catalina Malinowski, Sharon Giordano, Marianna Chavez. Use of adjuvant Capecitabine after neoadjuvant chemotherapy: A Cohort Study among Elderly Patients with Early-Stage Triple-Negative Breast Cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO3-03-08.

Medicare Advantage Is Associated with Lower Utilization of Total Joint Arthroplasty.

Medicare Advantage (MA) insurers use managed care techniques to review the utilization of medical services and control costs. It is unclear if MA enrollees have a lower utilization of elective surgical procedures such as inpatient hip and knee total joint arthroplasty (TJA), which have traditionally been covered by traditional Medicare (TM) without restrictions. We conducted a cross-sectional study using a 20% sample of 2018 TM claims and MA encounter records for 5,300,188 TM enrollees and 1,970,032 MA enrollees who were 65 to 85 years of age. We calculated unadjusted and adjusted differences (controlling for beneficiary and market characteristics) in the incidence of TJA for MA compared with TM, and by MA plan type. Finally, we calculated differences in the time to contact with an orthopaedic surgeon and time to the surgical procedure among enrollees with an osteoarthritis diagnosis. After controlling for observable characteristics, there was a 15.6% lower incidence of TJA in MA enrollees compared with TM enrollees (p < 0.001). Compared with TM enrollees, health maintenance organization (HMO) enrollees were 28.1% less likely to undergo TJA, controlling for observable characteristics (p < 0.001). From the initial diagnosis, the time to contact with an orthopaedic surgeon and the time to the surgical procedure were also lower among TM enrollees compared with MA enrollees. At 2 years after an osteoarthritis diagnosis, 10.4% of TM enrollees, 7.9% of preferred provider organization (PPO) enrollees, and 5.7% of HMO enrollees had undergone inpatient TJA. MA coverage was associated with a lower utilization of elective, inpatient hip and knee TJA. MA was also associated with a longer time to orthopaedic surgeon evaluation and surgical procedure. Prognostic Level III . See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Comparison of Estimated No Surprises Act Qualifying Payment Amounts and Payments to In-Network and Out-of-Network Emergency Medicine Professionals

The No Surprises Act (NSA), which took effect on January 1, 2022, applies a qualifying payment amount (QPA) as an out-of-network payment reference point. An understanding of how QPA measures compare with the in-network and out-of-network payments physicians received before the NSA implementation may be useful to policy makers and stakeholders. To estimate the QPA for geographic and funding markets and compare QPA estimates with in-network and out-of-network payments for 2019 emergency medicine claims. This cross-sectional study of US commercial insurance claims assessed the Health Care Cost Institute's 2019 commercial professional emergency medicine claims (Current Procedural Terminology [CPT] codes 99281-99285 and 99291) and included enrollees in commercial health maintenance organizations, exclusive provider organizations, point of service, and preferred provider organizations self-funded and fully insured through Aetna, Humana, and some Blue Health Intelligence plans. Claims with missing or inconsistent data fields were excluded. Data were analyzed November 1, 2021, to April 7, 2022. The QPA was calculated as the median allowed amount of all observed claims within strata defined by geographic region, CPT code, and funding market. For each stratum, the ratio of mean in-network allowed amounts to QPAs and mean out-of-network allowed amounts to QPAs were calculated. Then the volume-weighted mean of these ratios was computed across CPT codes within each geographic and funding market stratum. The analytic sample included 7 556 541 professional emergency claims with a mean (SD) allowed amount of $313 ($306) and mean (SD) QPA of $252 ($133). Among the 650 geographic and market strata in the sample, the mean in-network allowed amounts were 14% (ratio, 0.96) higher than the estimated QPA. For the subset of strata with a sufficient sample of out-of-network claims (n = 227), the mean out-of-network payments were 112% (ratio, 2.12) higher than the QPA. More generous out-of-network payments were from self-funded plans (120% [ratio, 2.20] higher than the QPA estimate) vs fully insured plans (43% [ratio, 1.43] higher than the QPA estimate). Mean in-network allowed amounts for nonphysician clinicians were 4% (ratio, 1.04) lower than the QPA, whereas mean in-network allowed amounts for physicians were 15% (ratio, 1.15) higher than the QPA estimates. These differences remained after adjusting for geographic region. The findings of this cross-sectional study of US commercial insurance claims suggest that the NSA may have heterogeneous implications for out-of-network payments and negotiating leverage experienced by emergency medicine physicians in different geographic markets, with the potential for greater implications in the self-funded market.

How state surprise billing protections increased ED visits, 2007-2018: potential implications for the No Surprises Act.

The No Surprises Act took effect in 2022 and prevents patients from receiving unexpected emergency department (ED) out-of-network physician bills from in-network hospitals and restricts out-of-network co-payments to in-network co-payment levels. By studying similar state bans, we examine whether the large reduction in out-of-pocket payments under bans will have an unintended consequence of an increase in ED visits and spending. We examine 16 million nonelderly, fully funded, privately insured health maintenance organization (HMO) enrollees between 2007 and 2018 from 15 states with balance billing bans for HMO ED visits and 16 states without bans as the control group. Using MarketScan data, we conduct an event study analysis and a difference-in-difference analysis of the impact of state balance billing bans on the probability of an ED visit. We use a 2-part expenditure model to estimate the impact on spending. By analyzing 15 state-level bans, we find that the bans reduced spending per visit by 14% but spurred a demand response, an increase of 3 percentage points in ED visits, which wiped away the cost savings. Based on an ED severity index, these extra ED visits were 9% less urgent than prior to the bans. We predict that the federal ban will result in $5.1 billion in savings but 3.5 million more ED visits at $4.2 billion in extra spending per year, largely negating expected savings. Health plans must be prepared to manage this spike in ED visits as the No Surprises Act takes effect.

COVID-19 Susceptibility in Bronchial Asthma

BackgroundBronchial asthma has not been adequately assessed in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Respiratory allergy is associated with significant reductions in the expression of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 receptor, which is the entry receptor for COVID-19.ObjectiveTo observe COVID-19 susceptibility in patients with bronchial asthma, analyze the prevalence of asthma in a large cohort of consecutive outpatient subjects who were tested with the RT-PCR assay for COVID-19.MethodsThis was a retrospective population-based cross-sectional study using data from a large nationwide health maintenance organization in Israel. All health maintenance organization enrollees who had been tested for COVID-19 from February to June 2020 were included. Differences in demographic and clinical characteristics between the subjects with negative and positive COVID-19 RT-PCR test results and between COVID-19 RT-PCR–positive subjects with and without asthma were analyzed.ResultsA total of 37,469 subjects were tested for COVID-19 RT-PCR, and results for 2,266 (6.05%) of them were positive. A significantly higher proportion of smokers was observed in the COVID-19–negative group than in the COVID-19–positive group (4734 [13.45%] vs 103 [4.55%]; P < .001). Asthma was found in 153 (6.75 %) subjects of the COVID-19–positive group and in 3388 (9.62%) subjects of the COVID-19–negative group (P < .001). No significant impact of antileukotrienes, inhaled corticosteroids, and long-acting beta-blockers use was revealed on COVID-19 positivity proportions. Multiple logistic regression analysis adjusted for sex, age, smoking, and comorbidity revealed a negative association of asthma with the likelihood of being positive for COVID-19 (odds ratio, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.58-0.87; P = .001).ConclusionsWe observed lower COVID-19 susceptibility in patients with preexisting asthma.

Patterns of Care and Outcomes Among Older Patients with Myelofibrosis: A Population-Based Study

Background: Myelofibrosis (MF) is a Philadelphia chromosome negative myeloproliferative neoplasm associated with systemic and splenomegaly-related symptoms, cytopenias and decreased survival. Approval of ruxolitinib, an oral janus kinase (JAK)-inhibitor, for higher-risk MF patients (pts) by the Food and Drug Administration in 11/ 2011 opened a new era of targeted treatment for this disease. There are limited data on the "real-world" clinical experiences and outcomes of pts with MF treated in the JAK inhibitor era. MF became reportable to population-based cancer registries including the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) program in 2001, making its investigation possible at the population level. The objective of this study was to assess the patterns of care and outcomes of older MF pts in the ruxolitinib era. Methods: Using the linked SEER-Medicare database, we identified a cohort of older pts diagnosed with MF from 2007 through 2015 who fulfilled the following eligibility criteria: 1) aged 66-99 years at diagnosis; 2) had known month of diagnosis; 3) were not identified from death certificate or autopsy only; 4) had continuous enrollment in Medicare Parts A, B and no enrollment in health maintenance organizations from 1 year before diagnosis until the end of follow-up (death or 12/31/2016, whichever came first); 5) had continuous enrollment in Medicare Part D from diagnosis until the end of follow-up; and 6) bone marrow biopsy claim from 1 year before diagnosis to end of follow up. Treatments were assessed via Medicare parts B&amp;D claims. Kaplan-Meier curves and log-rank tests were used to compare survival between patient groups. Multivariable cox proportional hazards regression models were used to assess the effect of ruxolitinib use on survival in MF pts. Aside from treatment, we considered the influence of several characteristics on survival, including age at diagnosis, sex, race/ethnicity, marital status, comorbidities, SEER region and percentage living in poverty at the census tract level. Results: Among 528 MF pts, median age at diagnosis was 76 (interquartile range [IQR], 71- 80) years with 88.8% white and 56.1% male. 230 pts were diagnosed in the early era (2007-2011), and 298 in the late era (2012-2015), of which 113 (37.9%) were ruxolitinib users. There was no difference among any evaluated characteristics between two eras and by ruxolitinib status in the late era. The median duration of ruxolitinib use was 11.9 months. Similar number of pts started at 5, 10, 15 and 20 mg twice a day (BID) (Figure 1). Among 31 pts who started at ≤5 mg BID, 15 (48.4%) never had their dose of ruxolitinib escalated. While on ruxolitinib treatment, nearly half of the pts received additional medications for symptom management including hydroxyurea (22.6%), prednisone (17.9%) or both (10.4%). &amp;lt; 11 users were able to go up to the highest dose of 25 mg BID. Ruxolitinib was interrupted &amp;gt; 30 days for 31 times by 20 of 113 (17.7%) pts with median interruption duration of 43 (IQR 34-71) days. The median survival was 2.70 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.87-3.41) years and 2.62 (95% CI: 2.15-3.07) for the early and late era pts, respectively (p for log-rank 0.91). The multivariable analysis showed no impact of diagnosis era on survival (late vs early era hazard ratio (HR) of 1.08, 95% CI 0.83-1.40; p= 0.57). There was no difference in survival by ruxolitinib status (log-rank test, p=0.31), with a median survival of 2.76 (95% CI: 2.01-4.15) years and 2.53 (95% CI: 1.92-3.07) years among users and non-users, respectively (Figure 3). In the multivariable analysis, the risk of death among ruxolitinib users compared to non-users was not statistically significant with HR of 0.82 (95% CI 0. 59-1.16; p= 0.26). Conclusions: Older MF pts treated with ruxolitinib had similar survival when compared to pts who did not receive this medication, but the choice of ruxolitinib might have been influenced by disease risk which we were unable to assess. For many ruxolitinib users, the drug was interrupted, the dose was not escalated, additional medications were used concurrently (possibly to help control disease manifestation), and treatment was discontinued quickly after initiation. Optimization of ruxolitinib use may be necessary to accomplish better outcomes. Furthermore, development of new drugs which may be used together with ruxolitinib or after its discontinuation is needed. The work was supported by The Frederick A. Deluca Foundation. Disclosures Wang: Celgene/BMS: Research Funding. Ma:Celgene/BMS: Research Funding; BMS: Consultancy. Podoltsev:Jazz Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Agios Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy, Honoraria; Sunesis Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding; Pfizer: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Blueprint Medicines: Consultancy, Honoraria; Bristol-Myers Squib: Consultancy, Honoraria; Genentech: Research Funding; AI Therapeutics: Research Funding; Samus Therapeutics: Research Funding; Astellas Pharma: Research Funding; Kartos Therapeutics: Research Funding; CTI biopharma: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Boehringer Ingelheim: Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria; Alexion: Consultancy, Honoraria; Incyte: Consultancy, Honoraria; Astex Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding; Daiichi Sankyo: Research Funding; Arog Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding.

Medicaid managed care and preventable emergency department visits in the United States.

ObjectivesIn the United States the percentage of Medicaid enrollees in some form of Medicaid managed care has increased more than seven-fold since 1990, e.g., up from 11% in 1991 to 82% in 2017. Yet little is known about whether and how this major change in Medicaid insurance affects how recipients use hospital emergency rooms. This study compares the performance of Medicaid health maintenance organizations (HMOs) and fee-for-service (FFS) Medicaid regarding the occurrence of potentially preventable emergency department (ED) use.MethodsUsing data from the 2003–2015 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), a nationally representative survey of the non-institutionalized US population, we estimated multivariable logistic regression models to examine the relationship between Medicaid HMO status and potentially preventable ED use. To accommodate the composition of the Medicaid population, we conducted separate repeated cross-sectional analyses for recipients insured through both Medicaid and Medicare (dual eligibles) and for those insured through Medicaid only (non-duals). We explicitly addressed the possibility of selection bias into HMOs in our models using propensity score weighting.ResultsWe found that the type of Medicaid held by a recipient, i.e., whether an HMO or FFS coverage, was unrelated to the probability that an ED visit was potentially preventable. This finding emerged both among dual eligibles and among non-duals, and it occurred irrespective of the adopted analytical strategy.ConclusionsWithin the U.S. Medicaid program, Medicaid HMO and FFS enrollees are indistinguishable in terms of the occurrence of potentially preventable ED use. Policymakers should consider this finding when evaluating the pros and cons of adopting Medicaid managed care.

PCN49 ADAPTING THE ELIXHAUSER COMORBIDITY INDEX FOR CANCER PATIENTS BY DEVELOPING CANCER-SPECIFIC WEIGHTS USING SEER-MEDICARE DATA

To adapt the Elixhauser comorbidity index by developing cancer-specific weights for seven cancer populations. This cohort study using SEER-Medicare linked data (2007-2016) included older patients (age>=65) diagnosed with cancer of the breast, lung, liver, prostate, pancreatic, kidney, or leukemia. Patients were included if they had continuous enrollment in Medicare part A and B with no Health Maintenance Organization enrollment in the year before cancer diagnosis. Following the approach of Mehta et al. (2018), each cancer cohort was split into 2 subsets (training and validation). Using the training cohort, Fine and Gray’s competing risk regression was used to model the association of Elixhauser comorbidities with time to non-cancer mortality within 2 years, with cancer mortality considered as a competing risk. Non-cancer mortality was the preferred outcome due to the emphasis on deaths attributable to comorbid conditions. Beta coefficients obtained were multiplied by 10 and rounded to the nearest integer to derive the cancer-specific weight for each comorbidity. Competing risk regression was used again in the validation cohort to compare the total Elixhauser score derived using individual comorbidities with the cancer-specific score while controlling for sex, age and cancer stage. Model performance was assessed by comparing c-statistics. The final cohort comprised of breast (n=120,208), lung (n=107,129), liver (n=16,658), prostate (n=28,118), pancreatic (n=30,737), kidney (n=28,118), and leukemia (n=26,367). The 2-year non-cancer mortality rate was the highest for liver (14.07%) followed by leukemia (12.65%), lung (9.6%), kidney (8.68%), pancreatic (6.80%) and breast (4.8%) cancer. Cancer-specific Elixhauser score (c statistics: breast=0.55, lung=0.62, liver=0.61, pancreas=0.62, prostate=0.55, kidney=0.56 leukemia=0.57), performed slightly better than total Elixhauser score (c statistics: breast=0.55, lung=0.61, liver=0.59, prostate=0.55, pancreas=0.62, kidney=0.55, leukemia=0.57). Non-cancer mortality was the highest with liver cancer and the lowest with breast cancer patients. Cancer-specific Elixhauser score may control confounding better than the total Elixhauser score.

The Incidence of Thromboembolism for Lenalidomide Versus Thalidomide in Older Patients with Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma

Introduction: Chemotherapy backbones with immunomodulatory drugs have become the standard of care for the treatment of multiple myeloma (MM). Despite improved survival outcomes, thrombotic complications remain a concern especially in the older patients with co-morbidities. A meta-analysis showed that lenalidomide might be associated with lower rate of thromboembolism than thalidomide-containing regimen in patients with newly diagnosed MM with (0.7 vs. 2.6 per 100-patient-cycle) or without prophylaxis (0.8 vs. 4.1 per 100-patient-cycle) (JTH 2011;9:653). As thalidomide is still commonly used outside of the United States, it is important to understand if the thromboprophylaxis guideline is generalizable to all immunomodulatory drugs. However, no prior study has directly compared the thrombotic incidence between the two regimens while accounting for confounders. In the current propensity score weighted study, we have examined the incidence of venous (VTE) and arterial (ATE) thromboembolism and survival for older patients with newly diagnosed MM treated with lenalidomide- versus thalidomide-containing regimen.Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study using the SEER-Medicare database and selected all patients 66 or older with newly diagnosed MM 2007 to 2013. Patients were included if they had a prescription of IMID within twelve months of diagnosis and complete enrollment for fee-for-service and prescription drug coverage. Patients were followed from the IMID index date until first VTE occurrence or death and they were censored for disenrollment from Medicare A/B/D, enrollment in health maintenance organization, or 12/31/2014. We defined VTE (including pulmonary embolism and deep vein thrombosis) and ATE (including acute stroke and myocardial infarction) using previously validated ICD-9-CM codes with positive predictive value of 75-95% (Thromb Res 2010;126:61, Am Heart J 2004;148:99, Stroke 2014;45:3219).We used inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) to balance potential confounders (demographics, year of diagnosis, co-morbidities, concurrent medications) where a standardized difference (SD) of <0.1 was considered adequate balance. Weighted Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox models (HR) were used to compare overall survival. Weighted cumulative incidence curves and Fine-Gray subdistribution hazards models (SHR) were used to compare VTE and ATE incidence where death was treated as a competing risk. Variance was estimated via 200 bootstraps.Results: Among 2397 older MM patients that met the study criteria, 78% received lenalidomide (n=1863) and 22% thalidomide (n=534). There was a strong temporal trend of increasing lenalidomide use over time (Table 1). The lenalidomide group was more likely to receive bortezomib and lower dose of dexamethasone and less likely to receive anticoagulant prophylaxis. All confounders were balanced between the two treatment groups after IPTW. The 12-month incidence of VTE (10%) and ATE (5%) were similarly high in both groups (Figure 1a-b). Lenalidomide vs. thalidomide had a SHR of 1.11 (0.59-2.02) for VTE and a SHR 0.96 (0.45-1.98) for ATE. Overall survival was also not significantly different with a HR of 0.88 (0.60-1.18) for lenalidomide vs. thalidomide.Conclusion: In this propensity score weighted study of older patients with newly diagnosed MM, the cumulative incidences of VTE and ATE were similarly high in both lenalidomide- and thalidomide-treatment groups. The lack of difference in overall survival should be interpreted with caution as residual confounding such as severity of disease could influence this outcome. Our results suggest that appropriate risk stratification and vigilant thromboprophylaxis remain essential for MM patients receiving all types of immunomodulatory drugs. [Display omitted] DisclosuresGarcia:Retham Technologies LLC: Consultancy; Shingoi: Consultancy; Portola: Research Funding; Boehringer Ingelheim: Consultancy; Bristol Meyers Squibb: Consultancy; Janssen: Consultancy, Research Funding; Incyte: Research Funding; Daiichi Sankyo: Research Funding; Pfizer: Consultancy. Lyman:Amgen: Other: Research support; Halozyme; G1 Therapeutics; Coherus Biosciences: Consultancy; Generex Biotechnology: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees.

Medicare Advantage Enrollment and Beneficiary Risk Scores: Difference-in-Differences Analyses Show Increases for All Enrollees On Account of Market-Wide Changes.

Medicare adjusts payments to Medicare Advantage (MA) insurers using risk scores that summarize the relationship between fee-for-service (FFS) Medicare spending and beneficiaries’ demographic characteristics and documented health conditions. Research shows that MA insurers have increasingly documented conditions more thoroughly than traditional Medicare—resulting in higher payments to insurers—but little is known about what factors contribute to diverging risk scores. We apportion that divergence between market-wide increases and increases that vary with length of MA enrollment. We also examine whether effects vary across plan types and whether the enrollment duration effect is contingent upon remaining with the same insurer. Using Medicare administrative data from 2008 to 2013, we employ a difference-in-differences model to compare the growth in risk scores of Medicare beneficiaries who switch from FFS to MA to that of beneficiaries who remain in FFS. We find that the effect of MA enrollment on risk scores increased from 5% in 2009 to 8% in 2012 and that continuous enrollment in MA was associated with an additional 1.2% increase per year, regardless of continuous enrollment with an insurer. Thus, even among those who switched to MA in 2009, enrollment duration comprised less than one-third of the coding intensity difference in 2012. We also find that risk scores grew faster in areas with greater MA penetration and among Health Maintenance Organization enrollees. Overall, our findings suggest that market-wide factors contributed most to the increasing divergence between FFS and MA risk scores.

Medicaid Managed Care Structures and Care Coordination.

Child enrollment in Medicaid managed care (MMC) has expanded dramatically, primarily through state mandates. Care coordination is a key metric in MMC evaluation because it drives much of the proposed cost savings and may be associated with improved health outcomes and utilization. We evaluated the relationships between enrollment in 2 MMC structures, primary care case management (PCCM) and health maintenance organization (HMO) and access to and receipt of care coordination by children. Using data from the 2011/2012 National Survey of Children's Health and the Medicaid Statistical Information System state data mart, we conducted a retrospective, cross-sectional analysis of the relationships between fee-for-service, PCCM or HMO enrollment, and access to and receipt of care coordination. State-level univariate analyses and individual and state multilevel multivariable analyses evaluated correlations between MMC enrollment and care coordination, controlling for demographic characteristics and state financing levels. In univariate and multilevel multivariable analyses, the PCCM penetration rate was significantly associated with increased access to care coordination (adjusted odds ratio: 1.23, P = .034) and receipt of care coordination (adjusted odds ratio: 1.37, P = .02). The HMO penetration rate was significantly associated with lower access to care coordination (adjusted odds ratio: 0.85, P = .05) and receipt of care coordination (adjusted odds ratio: 0.71, P < .001). Fee-for-service served as the referent. State utilization of MMC varied widely. These data suggest that care coordination may be more effective in PCCM than HMO structures. States should consider care coordination outcomes when structuring their Medicaid programs.

Predictors of Unplanned Hospitalizations in Patients With Nonmetastatic Lung Cancer During Chemotherapy.

To determine predictors of unplanned hospitalizations in patients with lung cancer to receive chemotherapy in the outpatient setting and examine the potential financial burden of these events. . Retrospective, longitudinal cohort study. . The National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare linked database. . Of 104,388 incident cases of lung cancer diagnosed from 2005-2009, 2,457 cases of patients with lung cancer who received outpatient chemotherapy were identified. Patients were aged 66 years or older at diagnosis, had uninterrupted Medicare Part A and B coverage with no health maintenance organization enrollment, and received IV chemotherapy at least once. . Generalized estimating equations was used. . Patient age, sex, race, marital status, degree of residential urbanization, median income, education level, stage, receipt of radiation therapy, and comorbidities. . Younger age, non-White race, lower education, higher income, receipt of radiation therapy, and lack of preexisting comorbidity were significant predictors of the likelihood of an initial unplanned hospitalization for lung cancer. Non-White race, receipt of radiation therapy, and comorbidity were factors associated with an increased number of hospitalizations. . Unplanned hospitalizations are frequent, disruptive, and costly. This article defines areas for further exploration to identify patients at high risk for unexpected complications. . This article represents a foundation for development of risk models to enable nursing evaluation of patient risk for chemotherapy treatment interruption and unplanned hospitalization.

The role of cerebrovascular disease and the association between diabetes mellitus and dementia among aged medicare beneficiaries.

The aim of this study is to assess whether diabetes mellitus is associated with overall dementia and its subtypes (Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia) among the elderly and to identify the role of cerebrovascular disease in the association between diabetes and dementia. In a retrospective cross-sectional study, 5160 community-dwelling and institutionalized Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 years or over without health maintenance organization enrollment from the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey in 2010 were included. The International Classification of Diseases-9 codes were used to identify the outcome and independent variables from the Medicare claims. The key predictor was diabetes mellitus and the outcomes were overall dementia and its subtypes. Logistic regression was employed to assess the association between dementia and diabetes after adjusting for age, gender, race, education, income, smoking status, and Charlson Comorbidity Index. After adjusting for potential confounders, diabetes mellitus was significantly associated with overall dementia (odds ratio [OR] = 1.42; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.14-1.77), vascular dementia (OR = 1.29; 95% CI, 1.02-1.64), and Alzheimer's disease (OR = 1.51, 95% CI, 1.10-2.09). The OR decreased to 1.26 (95% CI, 1.01-1.58) for overall dementia, controlling for cerebrovascular disease. The associations between diabetes mellitus and vascular dementia (OR = 1.13, 95% CI, 0.89-1.44) and Alzheimer's disease (OR = 1.39, 95% CI, 1.00-1.92) were no longer statistically significant once cerebrovascular disease was controlled. The association between diabetes mellitus and dementia is only partially mediated through cerebrovascular disease, suggesting that diabetes mellitus is associated independently with overall dementia among the elderly, but not with vascular dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

Total expenditures per patient in hospital-owned and physician-owned physician organizations in California.

Hospitals are rapidly acquiring medical groups and physician practices. This consolidation may foster cooperation and thereby reduce expenditures, but also may lead to higher expenditures through greater use of hospital-based ambulatory services and through greater hospital pricing leverage against health insurers. To determine whether total expenditures per patient were higher in physician organizations (integrated medical groups and independent practice associations) owned by local hospitals or multihospital systems compared with groups owned by participating physicians. Data were obtained on total expenditures for the care provided to 4.5 million patients treated by integrated medical groups and independent practice associations in California between 2009 and 2012. The patients were covered by commercial health maintenance organization (HMO) insurance and the data did not include patients covered by commercial preferred provider organization (PPO) insurance, Medicare, or Medicaid. Total expenditures per patient annually, measured in terms of what insurers paid to the physician organizations for professional services, to hospitals for inpatient and outpatient procedures, to clinical laboratories for diagnostic tests, and to pharmaceutical manufacturers for drugs and biologics. Annual expenditures per patient were compared after adjusting for patient illness burden, geographic input costs, and organizational characteristics. Of the 158 organizations, 118 physician organizations (75%) were physician-owned and provided care for 3,065,551 patients, 19 organizations (12%) were owned by local hospitals and provided care for 728,608 patients, and 21 organizations (13%) were owned by multihospital systems and provided care for 693,254 patients. In 2012, physician-owned physician organizations had mean expenditures of $3066 per patient (95% CI, $2892 to $3240), hospital-owned physician organizations had mean expenditures of $4312 per patient (95% CI, $3768 to $4857), and physician organizations owned by multihospital systems had mean expenditures of $4776 (95% CI, $4349 to $5202) per patient. After adjusting for patient severity and other factors over the period, local hospital-owned physician organizations incurred expenditures per patient 10.3% (95% CI, 1.7% to 19.7%) higher than did physician-owned organizations (adjusted difference, $435 [95% CI, $105 to $766], P = .02). Organizations owned by multihospital systems incurred expenditures 19.8% (95% CI, 13.9% to 26.0%) higher (adjusted difference, $704 [95% CI,$512 to $895], P < .001) than physician-owned organizations. The largest physician organizations incurred expenditures per patient 9.2% (95% CI, 3.8% to 15.0%, P = .001) higher than the smallest organizations (adjusted difference, $130 [95% CI, $-32 to $292]). From the perspective of the insurers and patients, between 2009 and 2012, hospital-owned physician organizations in California incurred higher expenditures for commercial HMO enrollees for professional, hospital, laboratory, pharmaceutical, and ancillary services than physician-owned organizations. Although organizational consolidation may increase some forms of care coordination, it may be associated with higher total expenditures.

Advanced imaging among health maintenance organization enrollees with cancer.

Fee-for-service (FFS) Medicare expenditures for advanced imaging studies (defined as computed tomography [CT], magnetic resonance imaging [MRI], positron emission tomography [PET] scans, and nuclear medicine studies [NM]) rapidly increased in the past two decades for patients with cancer. Imaging rates are unknown for patients with cancer, whether under or over age 65 years, in health maintenance organizations (HMOs), where incentives may differ. Incident cases of breast, colorectal, lung, prostate, leukemia, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) cancers diagnosed in 2003 and 2006 from four HMOs in the Cancer Research Network were used to determine 2-year overall mean imaging counts and average total imaging costs per HMO enrollee by cancer type for those under and over age 65. There were 44,446 incident cancer patient cases, with a median age of 75 (interquartile range, 71-81), and 454,029 imaging procedures were performed. The mean number of images per patient increased from 7.4 in 2003 to 12.9 in 2006. Rates of imaging were similar across age groups, with the exception of greater use of echocardiograms and NM studies in younger patients with breast cancer and greater use of PET among younger patients with lung cancer. Advanced imaging accounted for approximately 41% of all imaging, or approximately 85% of the $8.7 million in imaging expenditures. Costs were nearly $2,000 per HMO enrollee; costs for younger patients with NHL, leukemia, and lung cancer were nearly $1,000 more in 2003. Rates of advanced imaging appear comparable among FFS and HMO participants of any age with these six cancers.

Factors Contributing to Underuse of Radiation Among Younger Women With Breast Cancer

Evidence-based literature has confirmed the effectiveness of radiation therapy (RT) after breast-conserving surgery (BCS), especially for young women. However, women with young children may be less likely to be compliant. This study explores factors associated with noncompliance of RT among insured young patients. Using the MarketScan Database, we identified the study cohort as women aged 20 to 64 years who had a BCS between January 1, 2004, and December 31, 2009, and had continuous enrollment 12 months before and after the date of BCS. Patients who had any radiation claims within a year of BCS were considered compliant. Adjusted odds of compliance were estimated from logistic regressions for the full sample and age-stratified subgroups. Sensitivity analyses were performed to evaluate the robustness of study findings. All statistical tests were two-sided. Eighteen thousand one hundred twenty of 21 008 (86.25%) nonmetastatic BCS patients received RT. Among patients aged 20 to 64 years, those with children aged 7 to 12 years, those with children aged 13 to 17 years, and those with no children or children aged 18 years or older were more likely to receive RT than patients with at least one child aged less than 7 years (7-12 years: odds ratio (OR) = 1.32, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.05 to 1.66, P = .02; 13-17 years: OR = 1.41, 95% CI = 1.13 to 1.75, P = .002; no children or ≥18 years: OR = 1.38, 95% CI = 1.13 to 1.68, P = .001). Stratified analyses showed that the above association was primarily driven by women in the youngest age group (aged 20-50). Other important factors included breast cancer quality of care measures, enrollment in health maintenance organizations or capitated preferred provider organizations, travelled to a Census division outside their residence for BCS, and whether patients were primary holders of the insurance policy. Competing demands from child care can constitute a barrier to complete guideline-concordant breast cancer therapy. Younger patients may be confronted by unique challenges that warrant more attention in future research.

Adverse Events for Hospitalized Medicare Patients: Is There a Difference between HMO and FFS Enrollees?

The study examines the likelihood of adverse outcomes associated with selected hospital safety events for two groups of Medicare patients: those enrolled in health maintenance organizations (HMOs) versus those enrolled in fee-for-service (FFS) insurance plans. The authors hypothesize that HMO patients may receive different qualities of hospital services and/or physician services relative to FFS patients. Based on the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project State Inpatient Database, the authors include discharge data on all hospitalized elderly Medicare patients in Florida in 2002 and use multivariate logistic regression models with adjustments for hospital-level clusters. The findings demonstrate that, after adjusting for hospital quality, Medicare HMO patients were at higher risk of adverse outcomes than Medicare FFS patients for iatrogenic pneumothorax, accidental puncture or laceration, and postoperative respiratory failure.

Analysis Of Medicare Advantage HMOs Compared With Traditional Medicare Shows Lower Use Of Many Services During 2003–09

Enrollment in Medicare Advantage, the managed care program for Medicare beneficiaries, has grown rapidly, from 4.6 million enrollees in 2003 to 12.8 million by 2012, or 27 percent of all current Medicare beneficiaries. We analyzed utilization patterns of enrollees in Medicare Advantage health maintenance organization (HMO) plans compared to matched samples of people in traditional Medicare during 2003-09, to ascertain whether the HMO enrollees demonstrated different levels of use of services, which can be a hallmark of more integrated care. We found that utilization rates in some major categories, including emergency departments and ambulatory surgery or procedures, generally were 20-30 percent lower in Medicare Advantage HMOs in all years. Medicare Advantage HMO enrollees initially had lower rates of ambulatory visits and hospitalizations, although these rates converged by 2008; they also received about 10 percent fewer hip or knee replacements. In contrast, HMO enrollees underwent more coronary bypass surgery than patients in traditional Medicare. These findings suggest that overall, Medicare Advantage HMO enrollees might use fewer services and be experiencing more appropriate use of services than enrollees in traditional Medicare.

Can equitable care eliminate colon cancer disparities?

91 Background: Previous studies suggest lack of insurance and variations in quality of care may drive disparities in colon cancer (CC), but equitable care may close these gaps. To clarify the role of equitable care on racial disparities, we compared CC survival in one of California’s largest Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) to survival in all other hospitals across the state. We hypothesized that disparities would be less pronounced in the HMO. Methods: All CC cases treated from 1996-2006 were identified in the California Cancer Registry linked to hospital discharge abstracts from the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development. Enrollees in the state’s largest HMO were identified as such. Five year mortality was compared between HMO enrollees and all other patients using Cox proportional hazard models. Results: 62,184 CC records were included. 25% were HMO enrollees. The HMO treated a higher percent of black patients (9.2% versus 5.5%) and fewer Medicaid patients (2.1% versus 4.5%). There was no disparity in the HMO setting blacks as compared with whites (HR 0.90 95% CI 0.79-1.02); but black patients fared worse in the non-HMO settings (HR 1.15 95% CI 1.07-1.23). Conclusions: CC disparities are differentially distributed across California hospitals systems. Since there were no disparities in California’s large HMO, where care is typically protocol-driven, our findings suggest delivery of equitable care may eliminate disparities. These findings are consistent with other studies in the literature. Future research should assess the effect of emerging Accountable Care Organizations on the elimination of racial disparities in other cancers and diseases.