Abstract
PURPOSE: To investigate trends and the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the utilization of intravitreal antivascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) pharmaceuticals in an accountable care organization (ACO).
METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services beneficiary claims for all patients in the Houston Methodist Coordinated Care ACO registry during the years 2018, 2019, and 2020.
RESULTS: Across the 3 years studied, a mean of 708 patients received anti-VEGF injections per year. The percentage of patients who received anti-VEGF injections decreased in each sequential year, with a steeper decline during the COVID-19 pandemic in the year 2020 (decrease by 0.4% from 2019 to 2020, P < 0.001; decrease by 0.2% from 2018 to 2019, P = 0.1453). The percentage of patients receiving bevacizumab of the total number of patients receiving any anti-VEGF treatment decreased (bevacizumab decreased by 6% from 2019 to 2020, P = 0.0174; decreased by 7% from 2018 to 2019, P = 0.0074). The COVID-19 pandemic did not seem to correlate with a change in the distribution of the specific anti-VEGF injection used.
CONCLUSION: Despite the lower price which may correlate with value-based care, bevacizumab was the least used anti-VEGF treatment. COVID-19 correlated with a larger decrease in the utilization of all three anti-VEGF drugs.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 506-513 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Retina |
Volume | 43 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Mar 1 2023 |
Keywords
- accountable care organization
- aflibercept
- anti-vascular endothelial growth factor
- bevacizumab
- COVID-19
- ranibizumab
- value-based care
- Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor/therapeutic use
- Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
- Pandemics
- Medicare
- Intravitreal Injections
- United States
- Humans
- Endothelial Growth Factors
- Bevacizumab/therapeutic use
- Recombinant Fusion Proteins
- Angiogenesis Inhibitors/therapeutic use
- Ranibizumab/therapeutic use
- Aged
- Retrospective Studies
- Pharmaceutical Preparations
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Ophthalmology