Abstract
Background
As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, health plans were required or voluntarily implemented patient cost share waivers for Covid-19 related emergency care. The impact of the cost waivers on patients for emergency physician services has not been previously reported.
Objective
To measure the impact of Covid-19 cost sharing waivers on patients for emergency physician services.
Methods
A multi-center retrospective review of emergency physician commercial claims was conducted to determine the impact of the patient cost share waivers on Covid-19 related emergency physician services. Seventy-seven emergency departments (EDs) representing about a quarter of all EDs in California were included in the study. Emergency physician claims during a nine-month pre-pandemic period in 2019 were compared with claims during a nine-month pandemic period in 2020 to determine if there were any changes in the patient cost share between the two study periods and between Covid versus non-Covid related care.
Results
The average patient cost share was $19 for Covid-19 related emergency physician professional care and $52 for visits unrelated to Covid-19. Compared to non-Covid-19 care visits, the patient cost share was 63% less for Covid-19 related care. There was a small increase (<$2) in the patient cost share for non-Covid-19 emergency professional care during the pandemic compared to the pre-pandemic period.
Conclusion
Payment policies implemented by California health plans were effective at reducing the patient cost share for patients that required Covid-19 related emergency physician care.
【저자키워드】 Patient cost share waivers, Covid-19 emergency care, emergency physician professional services, 【초록키워드】 pandemic, Health, Patient, Care, retrospective, Emergency, study period, average, objective, effective, Result, reported, the patient, required, conducted, less, determine, changes in, reducing, representing, 【제목키워드】 Emergency, physician, service,