Document Type
Journal Article
Publication Date
1-1-2015
Journal
Preventing Chronic Disease
Volume
12
Inclusive Pages
Article number E105
DOI
10.5888/pcd12.150111
Keywords
Antihypertensive Agents--economics; Early Medical Intervention--economics; Health Services Accessibility--statistics & numerical data; Hypertension--drug therapy; Insurance Coverage--statistics & numerical data
Abstract
Introduction
Hypertension is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD), the leading cause of death in the United States. The treatment and control of hypertension is inadequate, especially among patients without health insurance coverage. The Affordable Care Act offered an opportunity to improve hypertension management by increasing the number of people covered by insurance. This study predicts the long-term effects of improved hypertension treatment rates due to insurance expansions on the prevalence and mortality rates of CVD of nonelderly Americans with hypertension.
Methods
We developed a state-transition model to simulate the lifetime health events of the population aged 25 to 64 years. We modeled the effects of insurance coverage expansions on the basis of published findings on the relationship between insurance coverage, use of antihypertensive medications, and CVD-related events and deaths.
Results
The model projected that currently anticipated health insurance expansions would lead to a 5.1% increase in treatment rate among hypertensive patients. Such an increase in treatment rate is estimated to lead to 111,000 fewer new coronary heart disease events, 63,000 fewer stroke events, and 95,000 fewer CVD-related deaths by 2050. The estimated benefits were slightly greater for men than for women and were greater among nonwhite populations.
Conclusion
Federal and state efforts to expand insurance coverage among nonelderly adults could yield significant health benefits in terms of CVD prevalence and mortality rates and narrow the racial/ethnic disparities in health outcomes for patients with hypertension.
Creative Commons License
This work is free of known copyright restrictions.
APA Citation
Li S, Bruen BK, Lantz PM, Mendez D. (2015), Impact of Health Insurance Expansions on Nonelderly Adults With Hypertension. Preventing Chronic Disease 12:150111. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5888/pcd12.150111.
Peer Reviewed
1
Open Access
1
Comments
This is a work of U.S. Government employee(s) and is in the public domain in the United States.