Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31609057›Full record

ArticleArthritis & rheumatology (Hoboken, N.J.)2020

Decomposition Analysis of Spending and Price Trends for Biologic Antirheumatic Drugs in Medicare and Medicaid.

Natalie McCormick, Zachary S Wallace, Chana A Sacks, John Hsu, Hyon K Choi

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Arthritis & rheumatology (Hoboken, N.J.), 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Natalie McCormickMassachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, and Arthritis Research Canada, Richmond, British Columbia, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-4147-8348
Zachary S WallaceMassachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.ORCID 0000-0003-4708-7038
Chana A SacksMassachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
John HsuMassachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
Hyon K ChoiMassachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, and Arthritis Research Canada, Richmond, British Columbia, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-2862-0442

Funding

Tradeoffs in the Design of Public Long-Term Care BenefitsP01AG032952 · NIA · HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL · PI John Michael McWilliams · 2009 to 2026
$39.0M
Impact of ANCA Type and Rituximab vs. Cyclophosphamide on Cardiovascular Risk, Mortality, and Quality-Adjusted Life Years inANCA-Associated VasculitisK23AR073334 · NIAMS · MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL · PI WALLACE, ZACHARY SCOTT · 2018 to 2022
$948k
Caney Family FoundationCIHRNIAMS NIH HHS K23 AR073334NIAMS NIH HHS L30 AR070520NIA NIH HHS P01 AG032952Rheumatology Research Foundation
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveBillions of public dollars are spent each year on biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), but the drivers of recent increases in biologic DMARD spending are unclear. This study was undertaken to characterize changes in total spending and unit prices for biologic DMARDs in Medicare and Medicaid programs and quantified the major sources of these spending increases.

methodsWe accessed drug spending data from years 2012-2016, covering all Medicare Part B (fee-for-service), Medicare Part D, and Medicaid enrollees. After calculating 5-year changes in total spending and unit prices for each biologic DMARD as well as in aggregate, we performed standard decomposition analyses to isolate 4 sources of spending growth: drug prices, uptake (number of recipients), treatment intensity (mean number of doses per claim), and treatment duration (annual number of claims per recipient), both excluding and including time-varying rebates.

resultsFrom 2012 to 2016, annual spending on public-payer claims for the 10 biologic DMARDs included in this study more than doubled ($3.8 billion to $8.6 billion), with median drug price increases of 51% in Medicare Part D (mean 54%) and 8% in Medicare Part B (mean 21%). With adjustment for general inflation, unit price increases alone accounted for 57% of the 5-year, $3.0 billion spending increase in Part D, while 37% of the spending increase was from increased uptake. Accounting for time-varying rebates, prices were still responsible for 54% of increased spending. Unit prices and spending were lower under Medicaid than under Medicare Part D, though temporal trends and contributors were similar.

conclusionPostmarket drug price changes alone account for the majority of the recent spending growth in biologic DMARDs. Policy interventions targeting price increases, particularly those under Medicare Part D plans, may help mitigate financial burdens for public payers and biologic DMARD recipients.

Indexed as

CommerceHealth ExpendituresAntirheumatic AgentsBiological ProductsHumansMedicaidMedicareUnited StatesAntirheumatic AgentsBiological Products

Identifiers

PMID31609057
PMCPMC6994362

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.