Does a mandatory telemedicine call prior to visiting a physician reduce costs or simply attract good risks?

Details

Serval ID
serval:BIB_EE724C391B4D
Type
Article: article from journal or magazin.
Collection
Publications
Institution
Title
Does a mandatory telemedicine call prior to visiting a physician reduce costs or simply attract good risks?
Journal
Health Economics
Author(s)
Grandchamp C., Gardiol L.
ISSN
1099-1050 (Electronic)
ISSN-L
1057-9230
Publication state
Published
Issued date
10/2011
Peer-reviewed
Oui
Volume
20
Number
10
Pages
1257-1267
Language
english
Notes
Publication types: Journal Article
Publication Status: ppublish
Abstract
This paper aims to estimate empirically the efficiency of a Swiss telemedicine service introduced in 2003. We used claims' data gathered by a major Swiss health insurer, over a period of 6 years and involving 160 000 insured adults. In Switzerland, health insurance is mandatory, but everyone has the option of choosing between a managed care plan and a fee-for-service plan. This paper focuses on a conventional fee-for-service plan including a mandatory access to a telemedicine service; the insured are obliged to phone this medical call centre before visiting a physician. This type of plan generates much lower average health expenditures than a conventional insurance plan. Reasons for this may include selection, incentive effects or efficiency. In our sample, about 90% of the difference in health expenditure can be explained by selection and incentive effects. The remaining 10% of savings due to the efficiency of the telemedicine service amount to about SFr 150 per year per insured, of which approximately 60% is saved by the insurer and 40% by the insured. Although the efficiency effect is greater than the cost of the plan, the big winners are the insured who not only save monetary and non-monetary costs but also benefit from reduced premiums. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Pubmed
Open Access
Yes
Create date
18/10/2010 13:45
Last modification date
20/08/2019 16:16
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