By News & Views Staff
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacts a significant burden on the U.S. healthcare system, in terms of dollars spent and lives lost. A 2023 report suggests the key to tackling both is readily available — but largely untapped. Writing in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society,1 experts underscore the depth of the literature, which has consistently demonstrated pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) as a safe and effective intervention for individuals affected by COPD. It additionally has been shown to be a cost-saving tool for patients living with COPD who have been hospitalized. Despite the robust body of evidence, only a fraction of the country’s COPD patients eligible for Medicare — the population carrying the biggest burden for this chronic disorder — ever undergo PR.
According to Mosher et al, the primary culprits behind this trend are disparities, barriers, and inequities in access, along with inadequate reimbursement for services. He and his co-authors offer five strategies that promise to boost participation in PR, while potentially saving Medicare a fortune in the process:
References:
1 Mosher, CL, Belman, M, Garvey, C, Casaburi, R. Pulmonary rehabilitation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: Medicine’s best-kept secret that could save Medicare a billion dollars a year. Annals of the Am. Thoracic Society. 2023; 1(10), 1397-1399. https://doi.org/10.1513/AnnalsATS.202304-366VP
2 Mosher CL, Nanna MG, Jawitz OK, Raman V, Farrow NE, Aleem S, et al. Cost-effectiveness of pulmonary rehabilitation among US adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. JAMA Netw Open. 2022;5:e2218189.
3 Cohen K, Ameli O, Chaisson CE, Catlett K, Chiang J, Kwong A, et al. Comparison of care quality metrics in 2-sided risk Medicare Advantage vs fee-for-service Medicare programs. JAMA Netw Open. 2022;5:e2246064.