The association of thyroid disease and Ménière\'s disease would suggest that both are autoimmune diseases. This study aimed to investigate the relation of goiter, hypothyroidism, thyroiditis, hyperthyroidism, and autoimmune thyroiditis with Ménière\'s disease. The Korean National Health Insurance Service-Health Screening Cohort data from 2002 through 2015 were used. The 8183 adult patients with Ménière\'s disease were 1:4 matched with the 32,732 individuals of the control group for age, sex, income, and region of residence. The previous histories of thyroid disorders including goiter, hypothyroidism, thyroiditis, and hyperthyroidism were investigated using conditional logistic regression analyses. Subgroup analyses were conducted, including for age and sex. Smoking, alcohol consumption, obesity, Charlson Comorbidity Index, histories of benign paroxysmal vertigo, vestibular neuronitis, other peripheral vertigo, thyroid cancer, and levothyroxine medication were adjusted in the models. The histories of goiter (5.7% vs. 4.2%), hypothyroidism (4.7% vs. 3.6%), thyroiditis (2.1% vs. 1.6%), hyperthyroidism (3.6% vs. 2.5%), and autoimmune thyroiditis (0.99% vs. 0.67%) were higher in the Meniere\'s disease group than in the control group (all P < 0.05). The histories of goiter, hypothyroidism, and hyperthyroidism were associated with Ménière\'s disease (adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 1.19 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.04-1.36] for goiter, 1.21 [95% CI 1.02-1.44] for hypothyroidism, and 1.27 [95% CI 1.09-1.49] for hyperthyroidism, each of P < 0.05). In subgroup analyses, hypothyroidism was associated with Ménière\'s disease in < 65-year-old women. Hyperthyroidism was related with Ménière\'s disease in women overall. Thyroid diseases of goiter, hypothyroidism, and hyperthyroidism were associated with Ménière\'s disease.

BACKGROUND: The current Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services diagnosis-related group (DRG) bundled-payment model for upper-extremity arthroplasty does not differentiate between the type of arthroplasty (anatomic total shoulder arthroplasty [ATSA] vs. reverse total shoulder arthroplasty vs. total elbow arthroplasty [TEA] vs. total wrist arthroplasty) or the diagnosis and indication for surgery (fracture vs. degenerative osteoarthritis vs. inflammatory arthritis).
METHODS: The 2011-2014 Medicare 5% Standard Analytical Files (SAF5) database was queried to identify patients undergoing upper-extremity arthroplasty under DRG-483 and -484. Multivariate linear regression modeling was used to assess the marginal cost impact of patient-, procedure-, diagnosis-, and state-level factors on 90-day reimbursements.
RESULTS: Of 6101 patients undergoing upper-extremity arthroplasty, 3851 (63.1%) fell under DRG-484 and 2250 (36.9%) were classified under DRG-483. The 90-day risk-adjusted cost of an ATSA for degenerative osteoarthritis was $14,704 ± $655. Patient-level factors associated with higher 90-day reimbursements were male sex (+$777), age 75-79 years (+$740), age 80-84 years (+$1140), and age 85 years or older (+$984). Undergoing a TEA (+$2175) was associated with higher reimbursements, whereas undergoing a shoulder hemiarthroplasty (-$1000) was associated with lower reimbursements. Surgery for a fracture (+$2354) had higher 90-day reimbursements. Malnutrition (+$10,673), alcohol use or dependence (+$6273), Parkinson disease (+$4892), cerebrovascular accident or stroke (+$4637), and hyper-coagulopathy (+$4463) had the highest reimbursements. In general, states in the South and Midwest had lower 90-day reimbursements associated with upper-extremity arthroplasty.
CONCLUSIONS: Under the DRG-based model piloted by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, providers and hospitals would be reimbursed the same amount regardless of the type of surgery (ATSA vs. hemiarthroplasty vs. TEA), patient comorbidity burden, and diagnosis and indication for surgery (fracture vs. degenerative pathology), despite each of these factors having different resource utilization and associated reimbursements. Lack of risk adjustment for fracture indications leads to strong financial disincentives within this model.

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Objectives: Utilization of multisource biological (off-patent originator and its biosimilar) medicines can improve the efficiency of resource allocation by 1) generating savings while maintaining health outcomes or 2) increasing the number of patients treated with more affordable treatments. This study evaluates the efficiency of the Hungarian biosimilar drug policy on the case of biosimilar infliximab. Methods: We analyzed the utilization of biologicals in all reimbursed indications of infliximab including initial therapy of new patients and switching patterns retrospectively based on patient-level payer\'s data between September 2012 and December 2016. Results: Despite the economic rationale, patent expiry did not manifest in increased utilization of multisource infliximab in an access-restricted environment: 1) Patients previously treated with original biologicals were switched mainly to other original biologicals instead of more affordable biosimilar alternatives. 2) Although some treatment-naive patients started on more affordable multisource infliximab with price competition, the majority of new patients started on other original biologicals with monopolistic price. Conclusion: Policy tools and measures should be developed to facilitate first-line use of multisource biologicals for treatment-naive patients and promoting the use of more affordable multisource biologicals in case of switching.

Linked pharmacometric and pharmacoeconomic models provide a structured approach for assessing the value of candidate drugs in development. The aim of this study was to assess the utility of such an approach for identifying the properties of xanthine oxidase inhibitors (XOi) providing improved forgiveness to nonadherence and estimate the maximum reimbursement price. The pharmacometric and pharmacoeconomic models were used to simulate the time course of serum uric acid concentrations and estimate quality-adjusted life years and costs for the XOi febuxostat and a range of hypothetical analogues. Compounds with reduced clearance or increased potency were more forgiving to missed doses, however, even following relatively large changes in these properties the predicted maximum reimbursement prices represented an increase of only 19% above febuxostat 80 mg. Linked pharmacometric and pharmacoeconomic modeling methods have the potential to inform early drug development by providing an indication of pricing options that may permit reimbursement.

BACKGROUND: High budget impact (BI) estimates of new drugs limit access to patients due to concerns regarding affordability and displacement effects. The accuracy and methodological quality of BI analyses are often low, potentially mis-informing reimbursement decision making. Using hepatitis C as a case study, we aim to quantify the accuracy of the BI predictions used in Dutch reimbursement decision-making and to characterize the influence of market-dynamics on actual BI.
METHODS: We selected hepatitis C direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) that were introduced in the Netherlands between January 2014 and March 2018. Dutch National Health Care Institute (ZIN) BI estimates were derived from the reimbursement dossiers. Actual Dutch BI data were provided by FarmInform. BI prediction accuracy was assessed by comparing the ZIN BI estimates with the actual BI data.
RESULTS: Actual BI, from 1 Jan 2014 to 1 March 2018, was €248 million whilst the BI estimates ranged from €388-€510 million. The latter figure represents the estimated BI for the reimbursement scenario that was adopted, implying a €275 million overestimation. Absent incorporation of timing of regulatory decisions and inadequate correction for the introduction of new products were main drivers of BI overestimation, as well as uncertainty regarding the patient population size and the impact of the final reimbursement decision.
CONCLUSIONS: BI in reimbursement dossiers largely overestimated actual BI of hepatitis C DAAs. When BI analysis is performed according to existing guidelines, the resulting more accurate BI estimates may lead to better informed reimbursement decisions.

Background: As the principal means of reimbursing medical institutions, the effects of case payment still need to be evaluated due to special environments and short exploration periods, especially in rural China. Methods: Xi County was chosen as the intervention group, with 36,104, 48,316, and 59,087 inpatients from the years 2011 to 2013, respectively. Huaibin County acted as the control group, with 33,073, 48,122, and 51,325 inpatients, respectively, from the same period. The inpatients\' information was collected from local insurance agencies. After controlling for age, gender, institution level, season fixed effects, disease severity, and compensation type, the generalised additive models (GAMs) and difference-in-differences approach (DID) were used to measure the changing trends and policy net effects from two levels (the whole county level and each institution level) and three dimensions (cost, quality and efficiency). Results: At the whole-county level, the cost-related indicators of the intervention group showed downward trends compared to the control group. Total spending, reimbursement fee and out-of-pocket expense declined by ¥346.59 (p < 0.001), ¥105.39 (p < 0.001) and ¥241.2 (p < 0.001), respectively (the symbol ¥ represents Chinese yuan). Actual compensation ratio, length of stay, and readmission rates exhibited ascending trends, with increases of 7% (p < 0.001), 2.18 days (p < 0.001), and 1.5% (p < 0.001), respectively. The intervention group at county level hospital had greater length of stay reduction (¥792.97 p < 0.001) and readmission rate growth (3.3% p < 0.001) and lower reimbursement fee reduction (¥150.16 p < 0.001) and length of stay growth (1.24 days p < 0.001) than those at the township level. Conclusions: Upgraded case payment is more reasonable and suitable for rural areas than simple quota payment or cap payment. It has successfully curbed the growth of medical expenses, improved the efficiency of medical insurance fund utilisation, and alleviated patients\' economic burden of disease. However, no positive effects on service quality and efficiency were observed. The increase in readmission rate and potential hidden dangers for primary health care institutions should be given attention.

Medicare\'s prospective payment system for long-term acute-care hospitals (LTCHs) provides modest reimbursements at the beginning of a patient\'s stay before jumping discontinuously to a large lump-sum payment after a prespecified number of days. We show that LTCHs respond to the financial incentives of this system by disproportionately discharging patients after they cross the large-payment threshold. We find this occurs more often at for-profit facilities, facilities acquired by leading LTCH chains, and facilities colocated with other hospitals. Using a dynamic structural model, we evaluate counterfactual payment policies that would provide substantial savings for Medicare.

An employer coalition in Indiana sponsored a study by the Rand Corporation examining commercial insurer payments as a percent of Medicare. The employers sought to understand why their health care costs were high and increasing. The study showed that, on average, their insurer was paying three times what Medicare pays for the same services. In this, a follow-up study, we demonstrate that these high payments resulted in very high profit margins for central Indiana\'s major health systems, along with elevated costs and poor performance on key efficiency measures. We also see indications that hospitals appear to be using aggressive revenue cycle management techniques. The paper concludes with a discussion of policy issues.

BACKGROUND: Purchasing in health care financing refers to the transfer of pooled funds to health care providers for the provision of health care services. There is limited empirical work on purchasing arrangements and what is required for strategic purchasing in low- and middle-income countries. We conducted this study to critically assess the purchasing arrangements of the county departments of health (CDOH) who are the largest purchasers of health care in Kenya.
METHODS: We used a qualitative case study approach to assess the extent to which the purchasing actions of the CDOH in Kenya were strategic. We purposively sampled 10 counties and collected data using in-depth interviews (n = 81), focus group discussions (n = 4), and documents review. We analyzed data using a framework approach.
RESULTS: County departments of health did not practice strategic purchasing. The government\'s (national and county) role as a steward for the purchasing function was characterized by poor accountability and inadequate budgetary allocations for service delivery. The absence of a purchaser-provider split between the CDOH and public health care providers undermined provider selection based on performance and quality. Poor public participation and ineffective complaints and feedback mechanisms limited public accountability and responsiveness to the needs of the people.
CONCLUSIONS: Our findings show that while there are frameworks that could promote strategic purchasing of the CDOH, strategic purchasing is impaired by poor implementation of these frameworks and the inherent weaknesses of a public integrated purchasing system that lacks purchaser-provider split.