Suchergebnisse

Estimating the effects of reforms in advance is an important part of evidence-based and transparent legislative processes. The aim of this study was to describe a microsimulation method created to produce ex ante estimates of pharmaceutical pricing and reimbursement policy reforms. As a case example, the estimates for the 2016 pharmaceutical reimbursement scheme reform, including, e.g., the introduction of a €50 annual deductible, are presented. A static microsimulation model was developed based on the reimbursed purchases of 380,931 individuals drawn at random (10% sample) from the prescription register. The 2016 reform was projected to create savings of €44 million/year for the National Health Insurance (NHI). For patients, the median annual out-of-pocket costs increased from €78 to €96 (by +€18). For 97%, the estimated change was less than €50/year. The majority of patients whose out-of-pocket costs increased had relatively low prior costs. However, >€50/year increases predominantly affected patients entitled to higher reimbursements based on chronic or severe illnesses, among whom older and lower-income individuals were overrepresented. Increases of >€100 were rare (0.003%) and derived from exceptional circumstances. The microsimulation produced prompt but versatile estimates of the effects of legislative reforms by factoring in the entire spectrum of individual situations among affected patients.

Estimating the effects of reforms in advance is an important part of evidence-based and transparent legislative processes. The aim of this study was to describe a microsimulation method created to produce ex ante estimates of pharmaceutical pricing and reimbursement policy reforms. As a case example, the estimates for the 2016 pharmaceutical reimbursement scheme reform, including, e.g., the introduction of a €50 annual deductible, are presented. A static microsimulation model was developed based on the reimbursed purchases of 380,931 individuals drawn at random (10% sample) from the prescription register. The 2016 reform was projected to create savings of €44 million/year for the National Health Insurance (NHI). For patients, the median annual out-of-pocket costs increased from €78 to €96 (by +€18). For 97%, the estimated change was less than €50/year. The majority of patients whose out-of-pocket costs increased had relatively low prior costs. However, >€50/year increases predominantly affected patients entitled to higher reimbursements based on chronic or severe illnesses, among whom older and lower-income individuals were overrepresented. Increases of >€100 were rare (0.003%) and derived from exceptional circumstances. The microsimulation produced prompt but versatile estimates of the effects of legislative reforms by factoring in the entire spectrum of individual situations among affected patients.