Abstract: EP1424
Type: ePoster
Abstract Category: Clinical aspects of MS - 9 Economic burden
Background: Health care services needed for management and treatment of MS are not always covered by health insurance (HI). Even with HI coverage, out of pocket costs are often incurred, resulting in emotional, physical, or financial stress.
Objective: Assess need for services, utilization when needed, and insurance coverage and costs in persons with MS in the prior 12 months.
Methods: Persons diagnosed with MS, US residents, ages 18-65, were surveyed in Fall 2016 through the National MS Society, the North American Research Committee on MS (NARCOMS), iConquerMS, and regarding healthcare services needed, used, and covered by HI in the prior 12 months. Services included medical professionals (MP: primary care, neurologists, nurse practitioners), behavioral health (BH), rehabilitation (Rehab), integrative/complementary medicine (ICM), medical equipment (MEQ), Laboratory (Lab) or imaging (IMG) services, prescriptions (Pres), inpatient care (INP), short-term/home-care nursing or rehabilitation (STC), emergency room (ER), and preventative medicine/wellness (PrevM). Results are presented as percent (%), Mean(SD), or Median(IQR).
Results: Of the 2507 respondents that met the general eligibility criteria, 2323 (92.7%) completed information regarding age, gender, duration of MS, had HI and needed at least one healthcare service: 53.6(8.4) years old, 3.4% Hispanic/Latino, 91.8% Caucasian, 3.2% African American, 82.8% female, with a mean disease duration 16.5(8.4) years, 67.0% Relapsing MS, 20.5% SPMS, 5.6% PPMS. The median(IQR) services needed was 6(4, 7), used 5(4, 6), and covered by HI 4(4, 6). Over 90% of respondents indicated they needed MP (97.5%), 95.0 Pres, 92.1 each Lab or IMG; with less than 40% needing all other services 38.9 Rehab, 36.6 PrevM, 32.4 ICM, 28.6 MEQ, 22.6 BH, 21.5 ER, 13.5 INP, 4.6 STC. More than 80% of services needed were used, excepting 73.1 IMG. Of services used, more than 85% were covered by HI, excepting 61.3 MEQ, 42.1 PrevM, 41.5 ICM.
Conclusions: As expected standard healthcare services such as practitioner visits, lab and imaging were the most needed services, though imaging was the least used of needed services. And while most used services were covered by HI, nontraditional services such as medical equipment, integrative or complementary medicine, and preventative medicine and wellness were least likely to be covered by insurance.
Disclosure: This work supported by grant HC-1411-02012 from National MS Society. NARCOMS is supported in part by the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers(CMSC) and The Foundation of the CMSC.
Stacey S. Cofield: grant support from Pfizer, consulting fees from Department of Defense, American Shoulder and Elbow Society, Oxford University Press, MedImmune, Inc.
Sarah Planchon: nothing to disclose
Sarah Givens: nothing to disclose
Mary Beth Mercer: nothing to disclose
Carol Musil: nothing to disclose
Hollie Schmidt: nothing to disclose
Deborah Miller: Scientific Advisory Board for Evidera Inc., consultant for and recieved support for scientific writing from Hoffman-Roche, Ltd.
Abstract: EP1424
Type: ePoster
Abstract Category: Clinical aspects of MS - 9 Economic burden
Background: Health care services needed for management and treatment of MS are not always covered by health insurance (HI). Even with HI coverage, out of pocket costs are often incurred, resulting in emotional, physical, or financial stress.
Objective: Assess need for services, utilization when needed, and insurance coverage and costs in persons with MS in the prior 12 months.
Methods: Persons diagnosed with MS, US residents, ages 18-65, were surveyed in Fall 2016 through the National MS Society, the North American Research Committee on MS (NARCOMS), iConquerMS, and regarding healthcare services needed, used, and covered by HI in the prior 12 months. Services included medical professionals (MP: primary care, neurologists, nurse practitioners), behavioral health (BH), rehabilitation (Rehab), integrative/complementary medicine (ICM), medical equipment (MEQ), Laboratory (Lab) or imaging (IMG) services, prescriptions (Pres), inpatient care (INP), short-term/home-care nursing or rehabilitation (STC), emergency room (ER), and preventative medicine/wellness (PrevM). Results are presented as percent (%), Mean(SD), or Median(IQR).
Results: Of the 2507 respondents that met the general eligibility criteria, 2323 (92.7%) completed information regarding age, gender, duration of MS, had HI and needed at least one healthcare service: 53.6(8.4) years old, 3.4% Hispanic/Latino, 91.8% Caucasian, 3.2% African American, 82.8% female, with a mean disease duration 16.5(8.4) years, 67.0% Relapsing MS, 20.5% SPMS, 5.6% PPMS. The median(IQR) services needed was 6(4, 7), used 5(4, 6), and covered by HI 4(4, 6). Over 90% of respondents indicated they needed MP (97.5%), 95.0 Pres, 92.1 each Lab or IMG; with less than 40% needing all other services 38.9 Rehab, 36.6 PrevM, 32.4 ICM, 28.6 MEQ, 22.6 BH, 21.5 ER, 13.5 INP, 4.6 STC. More than 80% of services needed were used, excepting 73.1 IMG. Of services used, more than 85% were covered by HI, excepting 61.3 MEQ, 42.1 PrevM, 41.5 ICM.
Conclusions: As expected standard healthcare services such as practitioner visits, lab and imaging were the most needed services, though imaging was the least used of needed services. And while most used services were covered by HI, nontraditional services such as medical equipment, integrative or complementary medicine, and preventative medicine and wellness were least likely to be covered by insurance.
Disclosure: This work supported by grant HC-1411-02012 from National MS Society. NARCOMS is supported in part by the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers(CMSC) and The Foundation of the CMSC.
Stacey S. Cofield: grant support from Pfizer, consulting fees from Department of Defense, American Shoulder and Elbow Society, Oxford University Press, MedImmune, Inc.
Sarah Planchon: nothing to disclose
Sarah Givens: nothing to disclose
Mary Beth Mercer: nothing to disclose
Carol Musil: nothing to disclose
Hollie Schmidt: nothing to disclose
Deborah Miller: Scientific Advisory Board for Evidera Inc., consultant for and recieved support for scientific writing from Hoffman-Roche, Ltd.