Abstract
Background
Bundled payments for patients with cardiovascular diseases (CVD) aim to enhance primary care utilization in the Netherlands. This study assesses changes in healthcare utilization patterns and costs for CVD between 2015 and 2019, while investigating the potential association with bundled payment adoption.
Methods
We studied patients at very high risk for CVD using routinely recorded nationwide healthcare data. Multilevel logistic- and gamma regressions were conducted to assess healthcare utilizations patterns between 2015 and 2019, and the impact of bundled payments on the likelihood of receiving medical specialist care and the height of associated costs.
Results
The odds of medical specialist involvement declined over time for the 148,876 patients included in our study. This decline was significantly associated with practices’ use of bundled payments. Medical specialist costs did also significantly decrease between 2015 and 2019, and patients in practices with the highest level of bundled payments had significantly lower medical specialist costs. When general practice costs were included however, healthcare costs per patient stayed the same, both over time and stratified by use of bundled payments.
Conclusions
Our findings suggest an association between bundled payments and specialized healthcare use, potentially facilitating the transition to primary care. While we found no evidence for costs savings, our findings do support a reduction in spending growth.
Bundled payments for patients with cardiovascular diseases (CVD) aim to enhance primary care utilization in the Netherlands. This study assesses changes in healthcare utilization patterns and costs for CVD between 2015 and 2019, while investigating the potential association with bundled payment adoption.
Methods
We studied patients at very high risk for CVD using routinely recorded nationwide healthcare data. Multilevel logistic- and gamma regressions were conducted to assess healthcare utilizations patterns between 2015 and 2019, and the impact of bundled payments on the likelihood of receiving medical specialist care and the height of associated costs.
Results
The odds of medical specialist involvement declined over time for the 148,876 patients included in our study. This decline was significantly associated with practices’ use of bundled payments. Medical specialist costs did also significantly decrease between 2015 and 2019, and patients in practices with the highest level of bundled payments had significantly lower medical specialist costs. When general practice costs were included however, healthcare costs per patient stayed the same, both over time and stratified by use of bundled payments.
Conclusions
Our findings suggest an association between bundled payments and specialized healthcare use, potentially facilitating the transition to primary care. While we found no evidence for costs savings, our findings do support a reduction in spending growth.
Original language | English |
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Article number | ckae144.883 |
Journal | European Journal of Public Health |
Volume | 34 |
Issue number | Supplement_3 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Nov 2024 |