Ademola Joshua Itiola MPH, MSc , Lucy Cheng MSc , Wei Zhang PhD , Tara Gomes PhD , Baiju R. Shah MD, PhD , Michael R. Law PhD
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Objective
People living with diabetes and not using insulin may not derive clinically significant benefit from routine glucose self-monitoring. As a result, in 2015, British Columbia (BC) introduced quantity restrictions for blood glucose test strips (BGTS) coverage in public plans. We studied the impact of this policy on utilization, costs, and health-care utilization.
Methods
We identified a cohort of adults (≥18 years old) with diabetes between 2013 and 2019. Using BC’s administrative data, we studied utilization and costs among individuals with at least one PharmaCare-eligible BGTS claim. Using interrupted time-series analysis, we studied cost savings and determined the level of policy adherence. In addition, we investigated longitudinal changes in all-cause and diabetes-specific physician visits, all-cause hospitalizations, and health-care spending in the 3 to 5 years after policy implementation.
Results
Over the study period, 279.7 million BGTS were eligible for PharmaCare coverage, on which the government spent $124.3 million. After policy implementation, we observed an immediate decline in average utilization and PharmaCare expenditure on BGTS, leading to an estimated $44.6 million in savings between 2015 and 2019 (95% confidence interval $16.9 to $72.3 million). We found no association between the policy’s implementation and health services utilization or overall health-care spending over the long term.
Conclusions
Restricting reimbursement for BGTS in BC resulted in significant cost savings without any attendant increase in health services utilization over the subsequent 5 years. This disinvestment freed up resources that could be channeled toward other interventions.
期刊介绍:
The Canadian Journal of Diabetes is Canada''s only diabetes-oriented, peer-reviewed, interdisciplinary journal for diabetes health-care professionals.
Published bimonthly, the Canadian Journal of Diabetes contains original articles; reviews; case reports; shorter articles such as Perspectives in Practice, Practical Diabetes and Innovations in Diabetes Care; Diabetes Dilemmas and Letters to the Editor.