An analysis of Managed Medicaid data from a database of children diagnosed with cerebral palsy (CP) indicates that 42% of them did not receive any of the 10 selected therapies, including physical therapy, commonly used for spasticity management.
The other therapies included orthotics, oral baclofen, botulinum toxin, anti-spasm medication, casting, orthopedic surgery, baclofen injection, baclofen pumps, and rhizotomies.
Researchers from Ipsen Biopharmaceuticals Inc performed the retrospective study on managed Medicaid costs of treating children with CP, and presented the findings recently during the annual meeting of the American Academy of Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine.
The study’s objective, according to the researchers, was to better understand the epidemiology, treatment patterns, resource utilization, and associated costs of children with CP in the United States.
With that in mind, they analyzed a proprietary database covering 15 states and encompassing seven million lives between 2013-2015, with 3,294 unique cases, which represent patients with CP (aged 2-20) identified through ICD-9/10 diagnosis codes, according to a media release from Ipsen Biopharmaceuticals Inc.
The study also indicates that the average annual cost of treatment for a child with CP was about 16 times higher than the average cost of treatment for any child enrolled in Medicaid ($22,383 versus $1,359, respectively) between the years 2013 and 2015. Annual costs included expenditure from utilization of pharmacy, medical services, home health, long term care and hospice, the release explains.
“This study supports the need for a broader look into the overall management plans for children living with cerebral palsy, including appropriate treatment options and physical and occupational therapies. We hope this would also lead to better management of costs for families,” says David Cox, VP North American Medical, HEOR & Regulatory Affairs, Ipsen Biopharmaceuticals Inc, in the release.
[Source(s): Ipsen Biopharmaceuticals Inc, Business Wire]
