title: A value-based insurance design program at a large company boosted medication adherence for employees with chronic illnesses.
abstract: This paper contributes to a small but growing body of evidence regarding the efficacy of value-based insurance design. In a retrospective, observational study of employees of a large global pharmaceutical firm, we evaluated how reduced patient cost sharing for prescription drugs for asthma, hypertension, and diabetes affected the use of these drugs and related medical services. We estimate that prescription medication use rose 5 percent per enrollee across the entire enrolled population. Increased use was most evident for patients taking cardiovascular medication. By the third year, adherence to cardiovascular medications was 9.4 percent higher, and patients realized cost savings over time. Overall, the program was mostly cost-neutral to the company, and there was no aggregate change in spending. However, we raise the prospect that this program may have saved the company money by reducing other medical costs.
authors.affiliation: Thomson Reuters, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA. teresa.gibson@thomsonreuters.com
authors.forename: Teresa B
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Gibson
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kelly
authors.forename: Candace
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Turner
authors.forename: Feride
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Frech-Tamas
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Doyle
authors.forename: Edward
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mauceri
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000191:economics* / Q000628:therapy; D017047:Cost Sharing; D005260:Female; D006264:Health Benefit Plans, Employee / Q000191:economics*; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055553:Prescription Drugs / Q000191:economics* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult; D016903:Drug Monitoring
chemical_list: D055553:Prescription Drugs