Long-Term Implications Of A Short-Term Policy: Redacting Substance Abuse Data

Andrea M Austin; Julie P W Bynum; Donovan T Maust; Daniel J Gottlieb; Ellen Meara

doi:10.1377/hlthaff.2017.1524

Long-Term Implications Of A Short-Term Policy: Redacting Substance Abuse Data

Health Aff (Millwood). 2018 Jun;37(6):975-979. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2017.1524.

Authors

Andrea M Austin¹, Julie P W Bynum², Donovan T Maust³, Daniel J Gottlieb⁴, Ellen Meara⁵

Affiliations

¹ Andrea M. Austin ( andrea.m.austin@dartmouth.edu ) is a research scientist at the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, in Lebanon, New Hampshire.
² Julie P. W. Bynum is the Margaret Terpenning Collegiate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Care; associate director for health policy and research, Geriatric Center; member of the Institute of Health Policy and Innovation; and research professor in the Institute of Gerontology, all at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor MI.
³ Donovan T. Maust is an assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Michigan and a research scientist with the Veterans Affairs (VA) Ann Arbor Center for Clinical Management Research.
⁴ Daniel J. Gottlieb is a senior research programmer/analyst manager at the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth.
⁵ Ellen Meara is a professor at the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, and a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research, in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Abstract

From 2013 to 2017 the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services redacted Medicare claims that included diagnosis or procedure codes related to substance abuse. The redaction policy was in effect as the Affordable Care Act and the opioid epidemic changed the health care landscape. The policy substantially altered prevalence estimates of common chronic conditions that co-occur with substance abuse.

Keywords: Hepatitis C; Medicare claims; Mental Health/Substance Abuse; Redaction.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

Adult
Age Factors
Databases, Factual
Female
Health Care Costs
Health Policy / legislation & jurisprudence
Humans
Male
Medicaid / economics
Medicaid / statistics & numerical data*
Medicare / economics
Medicare / statistics & numerical data*
Middle Aged
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act / legislation & jurisprudence*
Policy Making
Retrospective Studies
Risk Assessment
Sex Factors
Substance-Related Disorders / epidemiology*
Substance-Related Disorders / prevention & control*
Time Factors
United States
Young Adult

Grant support

P01 AG019783/AG/NIA NIH HHS/United States