Publications
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NICU Admissions and Spending Increased Slightly from 2017-2021
Read more: NICU Admissions and Spending Increased Slightly from 2017-2021Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) provide critical, often life-saving, care to over 300,000 infants every year. The specialized care and technology available in NICUs have allowed preterm and otherwise vulnerable babies to survive and thrive even in the face of a host of potentially life-threatening complications and are recognized as contributing to the decline in…
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Childrens Asthma ER Visits
Read more: Childrens Asthma ER VisitsAsthma is the most common chronic condition among children in the U.S. and one of the leading reasons for pediatric emergency room (ER) visits. Schools play an important role in managing asthma among children since kids spend most of their time in school and school buildings may have environmental factors such as poor air quality and mold which can trigger asthma…
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ARM and ASHEcon 2023 Recap: HCCI Staff Research
Read more: ARM and ASHEcon 2023 Recap: HCCI Staff ResearchIn June, HCCI staff attended AcademyHealth’s Annual Research Meeting (ARM) and ASHEcon. In addition to connecting with other health services researchers, staff presented original research using HCCI’s commercial claims dataset. Here’s a sampling of HCCI staff presentations: ASHEcon: Effect of Critical Access Hospital Designation on Inpatient Prices in Employer-Sponsored Insurance Presentation by HCCI Senior Researcher Jessica…
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The Share of Ozempic Users with Diabetes has Decreased Over Time, Indicating Increased Off-label Use
Read more: The Share of Ozempic Users with Diabetes has Decreased Over Time, Indicating Increased Off-label UseOzempic, a relatively new anti-diabetes drug, has been in the headlines because of widespread shortages that are making it difficult for patients who use the drug to manage diabetes to access it. Some news articles suggest that off-label use for weight loss has been a factor associated with increased demand. The active ingredient in Ozempic is…
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HCCI Data Byte: Unintended effect of federal COVID vaccine policy on claims billing patterns
Read more: HCCI Data Byte: Unintended effect of federal COVID vaccine policy on claims billing patternsIn HCCI’s most recent Health Care Cost and Utilization Report, we observed substantial growth in spending on vaccines among individuals with employer-sponsored health insurance (ESI), which we attributed largely to uptake of COVID-19 vaccinations in 2021. Although they may be largely responsible for this trend, federal procurement complicates analyses of COVID-19 vaccines using claims data….
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Out-of-Pocket Spending Grew Over 200% among ESI Enrollees Diagnosed with Cancer
Read more: Out-of-Pocket Spending Grew Over 200% among ESI Enrollees Diagnosed with CancerCancer diagnoses can have devastating psychological and financial tolls on patients and their families. Previous research shows that Medicare beneficiaries who are newly diagnosed with cancer experience health care costs that can reach close to a quarter of household income in the year following diagnosis. People with employer-sponsored insurance (ESI) may experience even greater financial…
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Use of and Spending on Top Prescription Drugs in Employer Sponsored Insurance, 2021
Read more: Use of and Spending on Top Prescription Drugs in Employer Sponsored Insurance, 2021Recent policy and other initiatives aim to reduce spending on prescription drugs. At the federal level, the Inflation Reduction Act targets reductions in drug spending in Medicare through price negotiation, capping out-of-pocket spending by patients, and requiring drug manufacturers to pay rebates when prices rise faster than inflation. At the state level, there are initiatives…
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Over 80% of ESI Enrollees Used Evaluation and Management Services in 2021, with Primary Care and Telehealth the Most Commonly Used
Read more: Over 80% of ESI Enrollees Used Evaluation and Management Services in 2021, with Primary Care and Telehealth the Most Commonly UsedEvaluation and Management (E&M) services provide an entry point for many people into the health care system. This category of services includes most office visits to a primary care physician or specialist, including behavioral health services, as well evaluation and management services provided in an emergency room or outpatient setting. These visits typically involve a…
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The Price of Childbirth Can be Twice as High Even in the Same Hospital
Read more: The Price of Childbirth Can be Twice as High Even in the Same HospitalAccording to HCCI’s data, the price of a hospital admission for childbirth among birthing people with employer-sponsored health insurance (ESI) varies by a factor of three across hospitals within a local area. Even within the same hospital and within the same type of delivery, some births cost twice as much as others. Different prices for…
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From Prenatal through Postpartum Care, it Cost More Than $24,000 to Have a Baby on Average
Read more: From Prenatal through Postpartum Care, it Cost More Than $24,000 to Have a Baby on AverageTotal Spending Averaged $24,336 across the Prenatal, Childbirth, and Postpartum Periods among ESI Enrollees HCCI has highlighted the high cost of childbirth in the United States, but delivery is only one component of the full financial cost of having a baby. The cost of prenatal and postpartum care may cause people to forgo appropriate services,…