SNP Enrollment Cuts Mortality, Utilization Rates for ESRD Patients

September 17

Medicare beneficiaries with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), a costly and complex population that often has other comorbidities and sees multiple physicians, may be better served in ESRD Special Needs Plans, a type of Chronic-Condition SNP, posits a new study in Health Affairs. Researchers studied members of Anthem, Inc.’s California-based CareMore Health ESRD SNPs from 2010 to 2013, and found that those who switched from fee-for-service Medicare to a CareMore SNP experienced reduced risk of death and overall lower health care utilization compared to the FFS population (see graphics below). SNPs can coordinate member care more closely, leading to improved adherence and better health outcomes, which in turn reduces costs, asserted the study, which was supported by a grant from the Anthem Public Policy Institute. The study authors — which included employees of Humana Inc. and Anthem/CareMore — said that while additional research is still needed, CMS could consider facilitating “the sharing of best practices across SNPs and to other ESRD delivery and financing models” as it considers new models of care, including the enrollment of ESRD patients in traditional Medicare Advantage plans starting in 2021.

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Radar on Medicare Advantage

Carina Belles

Carina has been covering public-sector health care since 2018. As a data reporter for Radar on Medicare Advantage, she creates infographics and data stories on issues impacting Medicare, Medicaid and Part D. She also develops AIS Health Daily, a free daily newsletter that showcases AIS’s strong reporting across our four publications and parent company Norstella’s suite of market access and data solutions. Prior to joining the editorial team, she managed Medicare and Medicaid data for the Directory of Health Plans, AIS’s industry-standard health coverage database. She graduated from Ohio University with a B.S. in Journalism.