ADCES24 Research Roundtables Series: Necessary Considerations for Diabetes Care Expenses
May 30, 2024, 13:07 PM
By Melanie Xanttopoulos
Dr. Ng will share his findings in conversation this August at the ADCES24 Annual Meeting, where he is a featured contributor to the Research Roundtables Sessions. He can be reached for questions at [email protected].
Diabetes care and education specialists know that diabetes is all too common among adults in the United States, with 11.6% of the population having the disease. Diabetes prevalence was about 32% in 2015 among Medicare beneficiaries and about 14% of adults under 65 covered by Medicaid had diabetes in 2012. A significant number of both Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries struggle to pay medical bills, leading to barriers to treatment for those with chronic diseases, including diabetes. With these issues of cost in mind, Dr. Boon Peng Ng has examined the importance of considering cost when evaluating pathways for diabetes care.
In assessing cost burden, Dr. Ng found that Medicaid enrollees with diabetes had cost ratios of 1.5 to 4.4 times more than Medicaid enrollees without diabetes. These findings indicate the high level of treatment costs incurred by people with diabetes (PWD) and the prevalence of these costs among lower-income populations, who are disproportionately at risk for diabetes in the first place. Those with disabilities also had higher medical expenditures with higher comorbidity rates, including diabetes. These findings indicate the undue influence cost has on treatment options for PWD, especially those with lower incomes − limiting possibilities.
Medicare beneficiaries with Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) also struggled with medical costs, with more than a tenth reporting problems with affordability. Those who were younger had lower incomes, and a high number of comorbidities were all associated with issues paying for medical needs. Many among those at-risk had problems paying medical bills, creating risk for diabetes-related complications.
Inaccessible medical care for PWD enrolled in Medicaid and Medicare increases the risk of complications from diabetes and may further the need for higher cost health care. To mitigate this increased need for expensive treatment, lifestyle changes are recommended. Copayment reduction programs may also reduce the cost burden, and some are linked with positive diabetes care and behaviors, such as medication management. Diabetes self-management education and support (DSMES) may also improve health outcomes and is proven to be cost-effective.
Dr. Ng will discuss these solutions for cost-effective treatment and more on cost burden for Medicaid and Medicare patients with diabetes at the Research Roundtables event during the ADCES24 Annual Meeting.
Dr. Boon Peng Ng is a health economist and health services researcher. He is an assistant professor at the UCF College of Nursing, where he is a member of the UCF Disability, Aging and Technology Faculty Research Cluster. Previously, Dr. Ng was a Steven M. Teutsch Prevention Effectiveness fellow at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), where he leveraged his knowledge of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services data to assess health services usage, economic burden of diseases, and the health and economic impact of health policies and interventions on various populations. His area of research is in chronic disease, particularly diabetes, where he continues to serve as a guest researcher with the CDC Division of Diabetes. Dr. Ng received his PhD in Economics (Health) from Wayne State University.