New HCFO Grants Announced
Three new grants have been awarded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's HCFO initiative, examining the effects of the Washington State Diabetes Collaborative, Medicare beneficiaries’ responses to coverage gaps versus actuarially equivalent coverage, and Maine’s DirigoHealth initiative.
Grant Number: 56739
Title: Medicare Beneficiaries’ Response to Coverage Gaps Versus Actuarially Equivalent Continuous Coverage for Prescription Drugs
Grantee Institution: University of Maryland at Baltimore
Principal Investigator: Bruce Stuart, Ph.D.
Grant Period: July 01, 2006 –June 30, 2007
Grant Summary:
Are Medicare beneficiaries likely to react differently when faced with the donut-hole “gap” in Medicare Part D than they would with actuarially equivalent continuous coverage? The researchers propose to challenge the hypothesis that actuarially equivalent but structurally different cost sharing arrangements have similar impacts on beneficiaries' prescription drug utilization patterns. The researchers would also determine whether the relationship between use and benefit structure is sensitive to the overall generosity of insurance coverage. This project builds on Stuart's previous HCFO grant assessing the effects of gaps in drug coverage for Medicare beneficiaries with common chronic diseases. That study found that gaps in drug coverage lead to reduced utilization rates and that the effects are magnified for those with common chronic diseases such as diabetes, COPD, and mental illness. This project would extend the understanding of how Medicare beneficiaries react to benefit structure, but would also be useful to private payers as they search for a cost sharing formula that contains costs while minimizing disruption in medication regimens. The objective of this project is to provide policymakers with a better understanding of how Medicare beneficiaries behave when faced with alternative cost-sharing structures.
For more information, please visit the grant webpage.
Grant Number: 58064
Title: Impact of the Washington State Diabetes Collaborative on Patient Health and Economic Outcomes
Grantee Institution: Washington State Department of Health
Principal Investigator: Amira El-Bastawissi, Ph.D.
Grant Period: July 01, 2006–February 28, 2008
Grant Summary:
How do the clinics and primary care physicians participating in Collaborative III of the Washington State Diabetes Collaborative affect the health and economic outcomes of diabetic patients? The collaborative combines elements from Collaboratives of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement and the Chronic Care Model developed by Edward Wagner and colleagues. The researchers would capture the later-stage results of the collaborative, “thus offering an impact evaluation of a mature system-change model.” In particular, the researchers would explain how different components of the collaborative approach to diabetes care management directly affect health and economic outcomes (utilization and costs). The objective of the study is to better inform health plans, public payers, health care providers, and employers about the economic impact of the collaborative, to inform their quality improvement, benefit design, and payment decisions for diabetic patients.
For more information, please visit the grant webpage.
Grant No.: 58012
Title: Evaluation of Maine's Dirigo Health Reform
Institution: Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.
Principal Investigator: James M. Verdier, Ph.D.
Grant Duration: July 01, 2006 - October 31, 2007
Paragraph Summary: What are the program accomplishments and vulnerabilities of DirigoChoice, a subsidized health insurance program which is the centerpiece of Maine’s health care reform legislation, Dirigo Health. While it is too early in the program’s implementation to measure Dirigo’s ultimate impact on coverage, cost, and quality, the researchers will evaluate program accomplishments and vulnerabilities. Specifically, the following questions will be addressed: (1) Are low wage workers and their families more likely to take up health insurance coverage, and does this affect their ability to get care when needed? (2) Are small employers more aware of and likely to offer health insurance to their employees? What factors of the program are more successful at enrolling small businesses and how satisfied are employers with the program? (3) How is the DirigoChoice “savings offset payment” calculated, and is this revenue stream sustainable? (4) Is this approach to insurance coverage expansions replicable in other states? The objective of this project is to assess the progress of Maine’s approach to coverage expansion and to determine if DirigoChoice is sustainable and replicable.
For more information, please visit the grant webpage.
