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Out-of-Network Billing

Apr
25

Focusing on Seven Services Could Eliminate More Than Two-Thirds of Low-Value Care in HCCI's ESI Data

There is substantial evidence that people in the U.S. receive health care services judged to be of low-value. These services are identified as low value based on recommendations from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) and professional medical societies that there is little to no clinical value associated with their provision and potential for harm in specific clinical scenarios. Thes...

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Apr
04

Insulin Prices in ESI Nearly Doubled from 2012-2021, with Effects of Emerging Biosimilars Evident in Recent Years

Insulin is a life-saving medication for millions of Americans who live with diabetes. As the price of insulin has risen, people who depend on insulin have had to make difficult decisions about whether to pay for their medication or other necessities. Some have been forced to ration their supply, with devastating results. Recent legislation has limited insulin out-of-pocket...

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Mar
20

HCCI Spotlights Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month: Use of Cologuard Doubled over 2018-2020, Despite Drops Early in the COVID-19 Pandemic

Colorectal cancer screenings are essential for early disease detection, prevention, and treatment. Since 2014, Cologuard, a DNA-based screening test that can detect colorectal cancer and precancerous cells, has been available to individuals 45 and older at average risk for colorectal cancer. In contrast to colonoscopies, which must be done at a health care facility, Cologuard is non-invasive ...

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Mar
17

HCCI Spotlights Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month: Colonoscopy Prep Drugs Underscore the Tradeoff Between Cost and Patient Preference

Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer diagnosed in the U.S., and the second most common cause of cancer deaths among men and women combined. Screening via colonoscopy is highly effective in terms of improving prognosis of colorectal cancer via early detection; over 90% of patients who are diagnosed early (i.e., when the cancer is small and has not spread) live five years or l...

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Jan
31

Seasonal Trends in Antibiotic Use were Disrupted by COVID-19

November and December of 2022 saw growth in rates of flu, RSV, and COVID, that renewed attention to a seasonal trend of increased respiratory illnesses in the winter months. Data from Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance illustrate the seasonal ups and downs of respiratory infections. Earlier HCCI research showed that hospitalizations from respiratory illness increased in the winter months (N...

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