Impact Of Decreasing Copayments On Medication Adherence Within A Disease Management Environment

• Published in: Health Affairs Vol. 27; no. 1; pp. 103 - 112
• Main Authors: Chernew, Michael E, Shah, Mayur R, Wegh, Arnold, Rosenberg, Stephen N, Juster, Iver A, Rosen, Allison B, Sokol, Michael C, Yu-Isenberg, Kristina, Fendrick, A. Mark
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Health Affairs 01.01.2008; The People to People Health Foundation, Inc., Project HOPE
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Anticholesteremic Agents - economics; Anticholesteremic Agents - therapeutic use; Cohort Studies; Contraindications; Cost control; Cost Sharing; Cross-Sectional Studies; Databases, Factual; Disease Management; Drug therapy; Employees; Employers; Female; Health Benefit Plans, Employee - economics; Health care expenditures; Health insurance; Humans; Initiatives; Intervention; Male; Middle Aged; Patient compliance; Patient Compliance - statistics & numerical data; Prescription drugs; Studies; United States; United States; United States > US
• ISSN: 0278-2715; 1544-5208
• DOI: 10.1377/hlthaff.27.1.103

This paper estimates the effects of a large employer's value-based insurance initiative designed to improve adherence to recommended treatment regimens. The intervention reduced copayments for five chronic medication classes in the context of a disease management (DM) program. Compared to a control employer that used the same DM program, adherence to medications in the value-based intervention increased for four of five medication classes, reducing nonadherence by 7-14 percent. The results demonstrate the potential for copayment reductions for highly valued services to increase medication adherence above the effects of existing DM programs.