AMERICANS' exercise and eating habits continue to come under scrutiny and are blamed on more unhealthy outcomes and soaring medical costs. It's no secret the United States is a nation of big eaters and light exercisers. That combination costs billions of dollars every year, as obesity grows. But heart health is something that transcends obesity or exercise. Even seemingly healthy people can be stricken with sudden heart attacks.
How doctors treat individuals who have had myocardial infarctions influences the chances of another heart attack, and how that treatment is paid for influences longterm costs. One study shows that paying for therapies that prevent secondary heart attacks will save lives and money over the long run. Published in Health Affairs, a study from researchers at Harvard Medical School's Brigham and Women's Hospital says that patients who experience some relief in paying for follow-up care show greater medication compliance rates and have fewer recurrent heart attacks and strokes, which results in fewer deaths.
"Lifting barriers to treatment can save both lives and money," said Niteesh K. Choudhry, lead coauthor and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School. "Patients are forgoing medications that we know prevent future heart attacks because they simply can't afford them.
"If insurers can both boost compliance rates and prevent secondary heart disease events by shouldering these out-of-pocket costs, it's worth the investment," concluded Choudhry.
The authors used recently hospitalized heart attack patients at least 65 years of age with some drug coverage to make their estimates. Their most optimistic assumptions showed a savings of $5,974 per patient; the most conservative model showed a savings of $1,731.Over a three-year period, the study estimates that providing post-MI Medicare patients with full coverage could save more than $5,600 per patient.
The complete article can be found in the January/February 2007 issue of Health Affairs.
