Low value care refers to certain treatments, diagnostics or screenings where the risk of harm exceeds the benefits of the patients. In Colorado, 13 services, including prescribing opioids for low back pain, are costing payers and patients a combined $140M annually, and potentially causing harm.
The Center for Improving Value in Health Care (CIVHC) new Low Value Care Interactive Report based on claims in the Colorado All Payer Claims Database (CO APCD) allows users to identify the top low value care services in their region. The report shows that Colorado could save up to $140M annually and reduce potential harm to patients by minimizing low value health care services.
For the report, CIVHC engaged the actuarial firm, Milliman, to run CO APCD claims from 2015-2017 through their MedInsight low value care tool. Health care claims for over 4.1 million people with both private and public health insurance were analyzed, and results show that in 2017, 1.36 million Coloradans received one or more low value care service, and 53% of the measured care received was identified as likely wasteful or wasteful.
Read more:
- CIVHC: Low Value Care Interactive Report. March 2021