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Healthcare costs in the United States (US) exceed those of comparable nations without yielding better outcomes. Factors contributing to this include lack of cost transparency, limited outpatient resources due to primary care provider shortages, and high patient volumes, where patients are not educated on differentials and the stepwise process of workup. Addressing these issues could curb unnecessary hospitalizations and expenses. A 31-year-old woman with hypertension, alcohol use, anemia, and obesity experienced paresthesias in September 2022. At her first visit, the exam was consistent with decreased bilateral plantar sensation; however, there was no weakness or gait abnormality. This was not consistent with a focal neurologic distribution. Despite multiple ER visits, her condition persisted. Initial evaluations included potassium replacement ($80 for labs, $13 for tablet), nonacute head CT ($1500), and benign CT L-spine ($2500). Subsequent hospitalization led to brain MRI/MRA head/neck ($6700) and serum workup ($240), revealing deficiencies in vitamin D, folate, and B12. Treatment involved prednisone taper ($30) and supplemental vitamins ($35), with lifestyle recommendations ($0). After evaluating CompuNet lab costs and equivalent market imaging prices, potential savings exceeding $15,000 were identified through more focused and cost-conscious initial testing including vitamin studies and outpatient management, reducing hospitalizations and imaging expenses. Rising healthcare costs in the US are driven by various factors, yet fail to correlate with improved outcomes. Our case argues that enhancing access to primary care, promoting cost transparency, and educating patients on healthcare decisions are crucial for mitigating excessive spending.

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BACKGROUND: Hospital price transparency is federally mandated to improve consumer accessibility. We aimed to evaluate how hospitals were complying with these regulations for elective hernia repairs. METHODS: Searches were performed for different hospital systems in attempt to find a price for the procedure using author's own health insurance. Data collected included time to reach the cost estimate tool, time to obtain price estimates, and price ranges. With prices for inguinal and ventral hernia repairs varying across the state's medical centers. RESULTS: Fourteen medical centers across the country were included, all had a cost estimate calculator. The average success rate of obtaining a cost for inguinal hernia was 48%. Comparatively, the average success rate of obtaining a cost for ventral hernia was 12%. Of the successful searches for price, significant variation exists amongst the accessed hernia procedure cost. CONCLUSION: Despite federal mandates for hospital price transparency, online cost-estimate calculators are underperforming, thus exposing a need for more accessible cost-estimates for patients undergoing elective hernia repair.

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RESUMO A internação compulsória pelo consumo de drogas vem sendo problematizada no campo da política de saúde mental e expressa a luta entre os princípios do Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS)/princípios da Reforma Psiquiátrica versus os interesses privados de remanicomialização. O artigo objetiva analisar os gastos com internações compulsórias por consumo de drogas realizadas pela Secretaria de Estado da Saúde do Espírito Santo (ES), entre 2014-2019, buscando identificar a sua destinação. Apresenta breves reflexões sobre o direito à saúde e a disputa pelo fundo público. Trata-se de pesquisa documental com levantamento de dados no Portal de Transparência do ES. Foram utilizadas a análise estatística descritiva e a análise de conteúdo categorial. Os dados evidenciam as disputas pelo Fundo público e que isso não é um processo evidente para a sociedade. Os embates entre Executivo e Judiciário em torno do direito de acesso ao tratamento da saúde são pontos que precisam ser problematizados.

ABSTRACT Compulsory hospitalization due to drug use has been questioned in the Mental Health Policy and expresses the struggle between the principles of Unified Health System (SUS)/Psychiatric Reform versus the private interests about remanicomialization. This paper analyses expenditures on compulsory hospitalizations due to drug use carried out by the State Health Secretariat of Espírito Santo (ES) between 2014 and 2019 and aims to identify its allocation. It outlines brief reflections on the right to health and the disputes over public funds. This is documentary research with data gathered from the ES Transparency Portal. Descriptive statistical analysis and categoric content analysis were used. The data show disputes over public funds and that this is not a transparent process to society. The struggles between the Executive and the Judiciary over the right of access to health treatment are points that must be discussed.

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This qualitative study explored cancer survivors' experiences selecting and using health insurance and anticipating out-of-pocket care costs. Thirty individuals participated in semistructured interviews. On average, participants were 54 years (SD ± 8.85, range 34-80) and diagnosed with cancer about 5 years prior (range 0.5-10 years). About 57% were female, 77% were non-Hispanic White, and 53% had less than a college education. Participants struggled to access information about health insurance and costs. Lack of cost transparency made it difficult to anticipate expenses and increased anxiety. Many participants were surprised that after cancer, care that was once preventive with no out-of-pocket costs became diagnostic with associated fees. They discussed the cognitive burden of managing finances on top of treatment and overseeing communication between doctors and insurance. Interventions are needed to clearly communicate information about insurance coverage and care costs to improve cancer survivors' confidence in selecting health insurance and anticipating out-of-pocket expenses.

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Objective: Hyperoncotic 25% albumin is widely used for fluid resuscitation in intensive care units. However, this practice remains controversial. By 2012 in our intensive care unit, annual 25% albumin expenditures had steadily increased to exceed $1 million. This prompted efforts to promote more judicious use. Design: Prospective time series cohort analysis using statistical process control charts. Setting: Seventy-six-bed quaternary level cardiovascular surgical intensive care unit (CVICU), organized into 6 adjacent units. Patients: Adult cardiac, thoracic, and vascular surgery patients admitted postoperatively to the CVICU during the study period. Interventions: Over 12 months starting March 2013, we sequentially implemented unit-level 25% albumin cost transparency, provider education, and individualized audit and feedback of anonymized peer ranking of albumin prescriptions. Measurements and Main Results: C control charts were used for analysis of monthly unit-level direct albumin costs for 20 months. Balance measures including red cell transfusions, number of diagnoses of pleural effusions, and length of stay were also tracked. Monthly average albumin expenditures had decreased 61% by December 2014, and there was no evidence of adverse changes in any of the balance measures. These reductions have been sustained. Conclusion: Sequential implementation of multimodal strategies can alter clinician practices to achieve substantial unit-level reduction in 25% albumin utilization without harm to patients.

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PURPOSE: To determine the variability in out-of-pocket costs of lung cancer screening (LCS) for uninsured patients and assess accessibility of this information by telephone or Internet. METHODS: LCS centers from the ACR's LCS database were randomly selected. Centers were called between July and August 2019 to determine out-of-pocket cost. Telephone call variables, accessibility of cost information on screening centers' websites, screening centers' chargemasters, and publicly available facility and state insurance coverage variables were obtained. Cost information was summarized using descriptive analyses. Multiple variable linear regression analyses were conducted to evaluate effects of facility and state-level characteristics on out-of-pocket costs. RESULTS: Fifty-five ACR-accredited LCS centers were included with 78% (43 of 55) willing to provide out-of-pocket cost. Average out-of-pocket cost was $583 ± $607 (mean ± standard deviation), range $49 to $2,409. Average telephone call length 6 ± 3.8 min. Two of fifty-five screening centers' websites provided out-of-pocket cost information, and one matched cost given over the telephone. A chargemaster was found for 30 of 55 screening centers. No statistically significant differences in out-of-pocket costs were found by geographic region, state percentages of uninsured residents, state percentages of residents with public insurance, or facility safety net hospital affiliation. DISCUSSION: Out-of-pocket LCS costs for uninsured patients and availability of this information is highly variable. Radiology practices should be aware of this variability that may influence participation rates among uninsured patients.

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Este artigo objetivou compreender a disputa pelo fundo público no âmbito do financiamento e gasto com esporte nos Governos Lula e Dilma. A pesquisa, de caráter qualitativo, se apoiou em levantamento documental sobre as fontes de financiamento e o direcionamento do gasto com esporte de 2004 a 2015. Tais informações foram coletadas no Portal Transparência no Esporte, no SIGA Brasil e nos Demonstrativos dos Gastos Tributários de Bases Efetivas da Receita Federal do Brasil. Os dados apontam que o financiamento e o gasto com esporte nos Governos Lula e Dilma envolveram diferentes interesses econômicos, sociais e políticos que, por seu turno, se atrelaram às diferentes fontes de financiamento - orçamento, extraorçamento e gastos tributários - e influíram no direcionamento do gasto - Esporte de Alto Rendimento; Esporte, Educação, Lazer e Inclusão Social; Infraestrutura; Megaeventos Esportivos; e Gestão.

This article aimed to understand the dispute for public funds in sports financing and spending during the Lula da Silva and Rousseff administrations. The qualitative research was supported by document survey on funding sources and the type of spending on sports from 2004 to 2015. The information was collected online from Transparência no Esporte, SIGA Brasil, and the Brazilian Revenue Service's Demonstrativos dos Gastos Tributários de Bases Efetivas. The data indicate that funding and spending on sports in the Lula da Silva and Rousseff administrations involved different economic, social and political interests, which in turn were linked to different sources of funding - budget, extra-budget and tax expenditures - and influenced the type of spending - High Performance Sports; Sports, Education, Leisure and Social Inclusion; Infrastructure; Mega Sporting Events; and Management.

Este artículo tuvo como objetivo comprender la disputa por el fondo público en el ámbito de la financiación y el gasto con deportes en los Gobiernos de Lula y Dilma. La investigación, cualitativa, fue respaldada por un estudio documental sobre las fuentes de financiación y la destinación del gasto con deportes de 2004 a 2015. Estas informaciones fueron recolectadas en el Portal Transparencia en el Deporte, en el SIGA Brasil y en los Demostrativos de los Gastos Tributarios de Bases Efectivas de la Hacienda de Brasil. Los datos indican que la financiación y el gasto con deportes en los gobiernos de Lula y Dilma involucraron diferentes intereses económicos, sociales y políticos, que, a su vez, estaban vinculados a diferentes fuentes de financiación (presupuesto, presupuesto extra y gastos tributarios) e influyeron en la destinación del gasto -Deporte de Alto Rendimiento; Deporte, Educación, Ocio e Inclusión Social; Infraestructura; Mega Eventos Deportivos y Gestión.

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OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine if medication cost transparency alerts provided at time of prescribing led ambulatory prescribers to reduce their use of low-value medications. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Provider-level alerts were deployed to ambulatory practices of a single health system from February 2018 through April 2018. Practice sites included 58 primary care and 152 specialty care clinics totaling 1896 attending physicians, residents, and advanced practice nurses throughout western Washington. Prescribers in the randomly assigned intervention arm received a computerized alert whenever they ordered a medication among 4 high-cost medication classes. For each class, a lower cost, equally effective, and safe alternative was available. The primary outcome was the change in prescribing volume for each of the 4 selected medication classes during the 12-week intervention period relative to a prior 24-week baseline. RESULTS: A total of 15 456 prescriptions for high-cost medications were written during the baseline period including 7223 in the intervention arm and 8233 in the control arm. During the intervention period, a decrease in daily prescribing volume was noted for all high-cost medications including 33% for clobetasol propionate (p < .0001), 59% for doxycycline hyclate (p < .0001), 43% for fluoxetine tablets (p < .0001), and a non-significant 3% decrease for high-cost triptans (p = .65). Prescribing volume for the high-cost medications overall decreased by 32% (p < .0001). CONCLUSION: Medication cost transparency alerts in an ambulatory setting lead to more cost-conscious prescribing. Future work is needed to predict which alerts will be most effective.

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BACKGROUND: Patient out-of-pocket (OOP) spending is an increasingly discussed topic; however, there is minimal data available on the patient financial burden of surgical procedures. OBJECTIVE: To analyze hospital and surgeon expected payment data and patient OOP spending in neurosurgery. METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study of neurosurgical patients at a tertiary-referral center from 2013 to 2016. Expected payments, reflecting negotiated costs-of-care, as well as actual patient OOP payments for hospital care and surgeon professional fees were analyzed. A 4-tiered model of patient OOP cost sharing and a multivariate model of patient expected payments were created. RESULTS: A total of 13 673 consecutive neurosurgical cases were analyzed. Patient age, insurance type, case category, severity of illness, length of stay (LOS), and elective case status were significant predictors of increased expected payments (P < .05). Craniotomy ($53 397 ± 811) and posterior spinal fusion ($48 329 ± 864) were associated with the highest expected payments. In a model of patient OOP cost sharing, nearly all neurosurgical procedures exceeded yearly OOP maximums for Healthcare Marketplace plans. Mean patient payments for hospital care and surgeon professional fees were the highest for anterior/lateral spinal fusion cases for commercially insured patients ($1662 ± 165). Mean expected payments and mean patient payments for commercially insured patients increased significantly from 2013 to 2016 (P < .05). CONCLUSION: Expected payments and patient OOP spending for commercially insured patients significantly increased from 2013 to 2016, representing increased healthcare costs and patient cost sharing in an evolving healthcare environment. Patients and providers can consider this information prior to surgery to better anticipate the individual financial burden for neurosurgical care.

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OBJECTIVE With drastic changes to the health insurance market, patient cost sharing has significantly increased in recent years. However, the patient financial burden, or out-of-pocket (OOP) costs, for surgical procedures is poorly understood. The goal of this study was to analyze patient OOP spending in cranial neurosurgery and identify drivers of OOP spending growth. METHODS For 6569 consecutive patients who underwent cranial neurosurgery from 2013 to 2016 at the authors' institution, the authors created univariate and multivariate mixed-effects models to investigate the effect of patient demographic and clinical factors on patient OOP spending. The authors examined OOP payments stratified into 10 subsets of case categories and created a generalized linear model to study the growth of OOP spending over time. RESULTS In the multivariate model, case categories (craniotomy for pain, tumor, and vascular lesions), commercial insurance, and out-of-network plans were significant predictors of higher OOP payments for patients (all p < 0.05). Patient spending varied substantially across procedure types, with patients undergoing craniotomy for pain ($1151 ± $209) having the highest mean OOP payments. On average, commercially insured patients spent nearly twice as much in OOP payments as the overall population. From 2013 to 2016, the mean patient OOP spending increased 17%, from $598 to $698 per patient encounter. Commercially insured patients experienced more significant growth in OOP spending, with a cumulative rate of growth of 42% ($991 in 2013 to $1403 in 2016). CONCLUSIONS Even after controlling for inflation, case-mix differences, and partial fiscal periods, OOP spending for cranial neurosurgery patients significantly increased from 2013 to 2016. The mean OOP spending for commercially insured neurosurgical patients exceeded $1400 in 2016, with an average annual growth rate of 13%. As patient cost sharing in health insurance plans becomes more prevalent, patients and providers must consider the potential financial burden for patients receiving specialized neurosurgical care.

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The American Society of Clinical Oncology released its first guidance statement on the cost of cancer care in August 2009, affirming that patient-physician cost communication is a critical component of high-quality care. This forward-thinking recommendation has grown increasingly important in oncology practice today as the high costs of cancer care impose tremendous financial burden to patients, their families, and the health care system. For the current review, a literature search was conducted using the PubMed and Web of Science databases to identify articles that covered 3 topics related to patient-physician cost communication: patient attitude, physician acceptance, and the associated outcomes; and 15 articles from 12 distinct studies were identified. Although most articles that addressed patient attitude suggested that cost communication is desired by >50% of patients in the respective study cohorts, only <33% of patients in those studies had actually discussed costs with their physicians. The literature on physician acceptance indicated that, although 75% of physicians considered discussions of out-of-pocket costs with patients their responsibility, <30% felt comfortable with such communication. When asked about whether cost communication actually took place in their practice, percentages reported by physicians varied widely from <10% to >60%. The data suggested that cost communication was associated with improved patient satisfaction, lower out-of-pocket expenses, and a higher likelihood of medication nonadherence; none of the studies established causality. Both patients and physicians expressed a strong need for accurate, accessible, and transparent information about the cost of cancer care. Cancer 2017;123:928-39. © 2016 American Cancer Society.

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