Alain G, Gilmore D, Krantz M, Hanks C, Coury DL, Moffatt-Bruce S, Garvin JH, Hand BN. Expenditures and Healthcare Utilization of Patients Receiving Care at a Specialized Primary Care Clinic Designed with and for Autistic Adults.
J Gen Intern Med 2022;
37:2413-2419. [PMID:
34990000 PMCID:
PMC9360285 DOI:
10.1007/s11606-021-07180-y]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND
We previously found that autistic adults who received care through a primary care embedded specialized clinic, called the Center for Autism Services and Transition (CAST), had higher satisfaction, continuity of care, and preventive care use than national samples of autistic adults.
OBJECTIVE
Examine the impact of CAST on healthcare utilization and expenditures.
DESIGN
Retrospective study of medical billing data.
SAMPLE
CAST patients (N = 490) were propensity score matched to Medicare-enrolled autistic adults (N = 980) and privately insured autistic adults (N = 980) using demographic characteristics. The median age of subjects was 21 years, 79% were male, and the median duration of observation was 2.2 years.
MAIN MEASURES
We quantified expenditures and utilization for primary care; emergency department (ED) visits; inpatient hospitalizations; mental health admissions; and outpatient visits.
KEY RESULTS
CAST patients had the highest primary care utilization and expenditures. However, CAST patients had significantly lower expenditures than Medicare-enrolled autistic adults for mental health admissions ($1074 vs $1903), outpatient visits ($1671 vs $2979), and total expenditures ($5893 vs $6987), as well as 57% fewer inpatient hospitalizations. Compared to privately insured autistic adults, CAST patients had significantly lower expenditures for mental health admissions ($1074 vs $1362), inpatient hospitalizations ($3851 vs $4513), and outpatient visits ($1671 vs $6070), as well as 16% fewer inpatient hospitalizations, 24% fewer ED visits, and 50% fewer outpatient visits. On average, CAST patients had more ED visits, mental health admissions, and outpatient visits than Medicare-enrolled autistic adults and more mental health admissions than privately insured autistic adults.
CONCLUSIONS
Although CAST patients had greater primary care utilization and expenditures, our findings suggest embedding specialized clinics within broader primary care settings could be an alternative to current standards of care and may reduce expenditures and healthcare utilization in other areas, particularly relative to standard care for privately insured autistic adults.
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