Persistent Variation in Medicare Payment Authorization for Home Hemodialysis Treatments.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To analyze variation in medical care use attributable to Medicare's decentralized claims adjudication process as exemplified in home hemodialysis (HHD) therapy.

Data sources/study setting

Secondary data analysis using 2009-2012 paid Medicare claims for HHD and in-center hemodialysis (IHD).

Study design

We compared variation across Medicare administrative contractors (MACs) in predicted paid treatments per standardized patient-month for HHD and IHD patients. We used ordinary least-squares regression to determine whether higher paid HHD treatment counts expanded HHD programs' presence among dialysis facilities.

Data collection

We identified HHD and IHD treatments using procedure, revenue center, and claim condition codes on type 72x claims.

Principal

SUBMITTER: Wilk AS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5867144 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature