Better communication, data-sharing and collaboration between hemophilia treatment centers (HTCs), payers (insurers) and specialty pharmacies (SPPs) could not only improve the quality of care for people with bleeding disorders, but also result in more cost-effective care.
These are the findings of recent pilot programs conducted by the Comprehensive Care Sustainability Collaborative (CCSC) initiative, developed by NHF and Impact Education, LLC, and comprising 18 leading clinicians and managed care decision-makers. A poster presentation highlighting these results was awarded second place among 35 posters featuring research on a variety of disease states at the fifth annual meeting of the National Association of Specialty Pharmacy (NASP), held September 17-20 in Washington, DC.
The premise of the research is that, despite being nationally recognized as the “centers of excellence” in managing care for people with bleeding disorders for more than 40 years, HTCs may be underused in the current framework of managed care. This underutilization of HTC services and oversight of specialty drugs, such as clotting factor replacement therapy, among plan populations is largely attributable to a lack of engagement between HTCs, SPPs and payers.
“The comprehensive, patient-centered care provided by HTCs is essential to improving outcomes for people with bleeding disorders and has the potential to result in cost-savings for payers, which is vital in this era of healthcare accountability,” said Michelle Rice, NHF’s senior vice present of external affairs, CCSC advisory board member, and research abstract coauthor. “We appreciate the recognition given to the CCSC initiative by NASP and will use this momentum to continue fostering the development of innovative collaborations between payers and HTCs/SPPs.”