The Economic Benefit of Expanding Public Funding of Insulin Pumps in British Columbia

Transcription

1 The Economic Benefit of Expanding Public Funding of Insulin Pumps in British Columbia

2 Executive Summary BC Every day, British Columbians living with type 1 diabetes take insulin so that they can live healthy lives. Many choose to deliver the insulin by manually injecting it several times a day while others use an insulin pump to deliver the appropriate amount of insulin when required throughout the day. Significant evidence exists demonstrating the medical benefits of insulin pumps versus multiple daily injections of insulin. This evidence has led to the implementation of a pediatric insulin pump program in British Columbia, which will promote better health outcomes for people living with type 1 diabetes. These better health outcomes will help prevent or delay the costly secondary complications of diabetes that many of these children may face as adults, and by consequence, lead to eventual cost savings for the province. This report will build on that premise by illustrating that while the current program provides real value to the province, this value can be significantly enhanced by expanding the program to include all British Columbians living with type 1 diabetes. The report will demonstrate how the expanded program, in achieving major cost savings through reduced diabetes complications, will provide better value for dollar than the current program, and will, over time, provide a significant financial savings to British Columbia. Key Report Findings: The number of people living with diabetes in BC is expected to rise from 360,000 people in 2012 to 777,000 people by Of this total, the estimated number of people living with type 1 diabetes is 18,300 people in 2012 and is projected to rise to 30,000 by The annual cost of providing insulin pumps and supplies for those with type 1 who chose to use an insulin pump is estimated at $10.1 million in 2012 and is projected to reach $17.8 million by These costs will be strongly offset by savings achieved through the reduction of secondary complications, totaling $7.4 million in 2012, and reaching $22.1 million per year by When also factoring indirect cost savings arising from decreased diabetes mortality and disability, the net total cost to BC for the program is estimated at $2.1 million in This sum is $1.4 million less than the estimated societal cost for the current program. Savings from reductions in the number of long-term complications would rise each year, leading to $5.3 million in net savings by 2032, whereas the estimated net societal cost for the current program is projected to reach $6.4 million annually.

3 Introduction Diabetes is a chronic, often debilitating and sometimes fatal disease, in which the body either cannot produce insulin or cannot properly use the insulin it produces. This leads to high levels of glucose in the blood, which can damage organs, blood vessels and nerves. Persons diagnosed with diabetes can be classified as having either type 1, type 2, gestational or prediabetes - a condition that, if left unchecked, puts you at risk of developing type 2 diabetes. 1 Type 1 and type 2 diabetes currently affects about 8% of the population in British Columbia. 2 Every day, people in British Columbia living with type 1 diabetes take insulin so that they can live healthy lives. Many choose to deliver the insulin by manually injecting it several times a day while others use an insulin pump to deliver the appropriate amount of insulin when required throughout the day. There is compelling evidence of the medical benefits of insulin pumps versus multiple daily injections of insulin. 3 The government of British Columbia has recognized these benefits and currently funds the purchase of insulin pumps and supplies for eligible children with type 1 diabetes under 19 years of age. This report will identify the potential social and economic benefits to the province if the current of insulin pump program was expanded to cover all persons with type 1 diabetes. The use of insulin pumps in place of multiple daily injections will, over the long-term, reduce the number of serious complications experienced by people living with type 1 diabetes. 4 These complications are the true drivers of the increasing costs of diabetes in the province. 5 As such, the report will demonstrate how the province s savings from the reduced number of complications will not only match but in fact exceed the financial costs of expanding the insulin pump program in the province. Further, the amount of savings to the province will continue to grow each year. Through the expansion of the insulin pump program to include all people with type 1 diabetes, research shows that: The net cost for the program in the first year of implementation will be $2.1 million. 6 This amount is $1.4 million less than the net cost of the current program. The net saving is projected to grow each year, and by 2032, the expanded program will not only pay for itself, but will provide the province a net annual savings of approximately $5.3 million. If not enhanced, the province s current insulin pump program will face a net annual cost of $6.4 million by Prediabetes is a condition where a person s blood glucose level is elevated, but not high enough to be diagnosed as type 2 diabetes. 50% of all people living with prediabetes will eventually develop type 2 diabetes. 2 Canadian Diabetes Association, Diabetes: Canada at the Tipping Point Charting a New Path 3 For reference, please see Slover RH, Welsh JB, Criego A, Weinzimer SA, Willi SM, Wood MA, Tamborlane WV. Effectiveness of sensor-augmented pump therapy in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes in the STAR 3 study. Pediatric Diabetes, 2011 or Thomas Danne, M.D., Olga Kordonouri, M.D., Martin Holder, M.D., Holger Haberland, M.D.,Sven Golembowski, M.D., Kerstin Remus, R.N., Sara Blasig, R.N., Tanja Wadien, R.N.,Susanne Zierow, R.N., Reinhard Hartmann, M.D., and Andreas Thomas, Ph.D., Prevention of Hypoglycemia by Using Low Glucose Suspend Function in Sensor-Augmented Pump Therapy, DIABETES TECHNOLOGY & THERAPEUTICS, Volume 13, Number 11, These complications can include end stage renal disease (kidney failure), myocardial infarction (heart attack), stroke, blindness, non-traumatic lower limb amputation and others. 5 Canadian Diabetes Association, Diabetes: Canada at the Tipping Point Charting a New Path 6 All cost calculations in this report are estimates, which assume the pump cost to be amortized over a six year period. Further, these estimates have been based on the assumption that government is bearing the entire cost of the program. The true cost to government for the first and each successive year of implementation would be dependent on a number of key factors, including the upfront prices for products, the actual take up rate for the program and the division of costs between government, individuals and insurance companies. Because of this, the true cost to government would likely be significantly less than the estimates provided in this report, resulting in even greater savings to the health care system.

4 Diabetes in British Columbia According to recent findings from the Canadian Diabetes Association s British Columbia Diabetes Cost Model report 7, diabetes in British Columbia is expected to rise from 360,000 people in 2012 to 770,000 people by Of this total, the estimated number of people living with type 1 diabetes is estimated at 18,300 people in 2012, and is projected to rise to 30,000 by Of those persons currently living with type 1 diabetes in BC, 3,500 are under the age of 19 and 14,800 are over the age of 19 (see Figure 1). 8 Should trends continue, by 2032, there will approximately 6,000 people with type 1 diabetes in BC that are under the age of 19, and 24,000 over the age of 19. Figure 1 7 The British Columbia Diabetes Cost Model Report is available at: diabetes.ca/economicreport. 8 Based on this population size, the number of publically funded pumps in 2012 for persons under the age of 19 is estimated to be 2,100, rising to 3,800 by Expanding coverage to all persons with type 1 diabetes is estimated to increase the number of funded pumps by 6,000 in 2012 and 9,700 by These estimates are based on the assumption that 60% of persons with type 1 diabetes under the age of 20 would use an insulin pump while 40% of persons over the age of 20 would do so. Existing programs in Canada typically only serve 30 to 35 percent of eligible persons.

5 People living with type 1 diabetes are also at high risk of developing one or more serious long-term complications that can be attributed to the disease, such as end stage renal disease (kidney failure), myocardial infarction (heart attack), stroke and limb amputation. For people in British Columbia, the greatest impact will be on the number of persons requiring dialysis for end stage renal disease, as their numbers rise from a net increase of 360 persons in 2012 to 887 persons by These serious complications develop over time and only become evident with age. Figure 2 shows that the greatest impact will be on the number of persons experiencing end stage renal disease. The number of people projected to suffer from heart attack, stroke and lower limb amputation in the province are also projected to rise significantly over the next two decades. Figure 2

6 Health Impact The use of an insulin pump in place of multiple daily injections has been shown to improve A1C values and will, over the long-term, reduce the number of serious complications experienced by people in British Columbia living with type 1 diabetes. 9 Research conducted by IMS using the CORE model estimated the average annual change in the incidence of myocardial infarction, end stage renal disease, lower limb amputations and stroke shown in Table The IMS research also included sensitivity analysis to determine the 95% confidence interval bounds for these estimates. The average cost per case (measured in 2009 dollars) reveals the burden that each of these complications places upon the BC healthcare system. Table 1 Complication % Change in Annual Incidence Rate Average Cost per Case (2009$) Base Case Low 95% CI High 95% CI Myocardial Infarction -10.0% -3.3% -35.8% $20,935 End Stage Renal Disease -20.4% -16.3% -24.5% $188,771 Lower Limb Amputation -7.0% -1.9% -38.7% $28,461 Stroke 17.5% 4.4% 219.2% $34,785 Switching from daily insulin injections to an insulin pump reduces the overall expected occurrence of secondary complications, most notably in end stage renal disease. The research also indicates that there will be an increase in the number of people expected to suffer from stroke. While this may not seem to be a positive outcome, persons using the insulin pump live longer lives without experiencing as many other complications from diabetes, thus, have more opportunity to suffer an age-related stroke. 9 For reference, please see Charles ME, Sadri H, Minshall M. and Tunis S. Health Economic Comparisons Between Continuous Subcutaneous Insulin Infusion and Multiple Daily Injections of Insulin for the Treatment of Adult Type 1 Diabetes in Canada, Clinical Therapies: The International Peer-Reviewed Journal of Drug Therapy, Vol 31, N.3 or Doyle EA, et al. A randomized prospective trial comparing the efficacy of insulin pump therapy with multiple daily injections using insulin glargine. Diabetes Care 2004;27:1554. These findings are also supported in several other studies, including Slover RH, Welsh JB, Criego A,Weinzimer SA, Willi SM, Wood MA, Tamborlane WV. Effectiveness of sensor-augmented pump therapy in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes in the STAR 3 study. Pediatric Diabetes, 2011 and Thomas Danne, M.D., Olga Kordonouri, M.D., Martin Holder, M.D., Holger Haberland, M.D.,Sven Golembowski, M.D., Kerstin Remus, R.N., Sara Blasig, R.N., Tanja Wadien, R.N.,Susanne Zierow, R.N., Reinhard Hartmann, M.D., and Andreas Thomas, Ph.D., Prevention of Hypoglycemia by Using Low Glucose Suspend Function in Sensor-Augmented Pump Therapy, DIABETES TECHNOLOGY & THERAPEUTICS, Volume 13, Number 11, Although the CORE model and the Canadian Diabetes Cost Model both include a broader set of complications associated with the disease, the four included in this research account for more than 99% of the costs. This study uses these average annual changes in incidence to generate the expected average change in the number of complications and their cost. It can, however, take up to a decade for these healthcare benefits to be realized by patients. As a result, the short-term benefits arising from public funding of insulin pumps may be overstated.

7 Economic Impact Insulin pumps and their supplies are expensive. The government of British Columbia currently pays costs not covered by private insurance for insulin pumps, insulin, infusion sets and reservoirs for eligible residents of the province. The overall annual societal cost of providing insulin pumps and supplies to persons with type 1 diabetes in British Columbia under the age of 19 is estimated to be $3.5 million in 2012 rising to $6.4 million after 20 years. By expanding the program to include all persons with type 1 diabetes, the initial program cost would rise to $10.1 million in 2012 and $17.8 million by However, the expanded program would allow for significant cost savings to the healthcare system through reductions in the annual cost of treatment for diabetes complications. When factoring in these savings, the net direct cost for an expanded pump program in British Columbia would be approximately $2.7 million. Furthermore, the savings derived from the expanded program are projected to grow each year. By 2032, the expanded program will provide an annual $4.3 million net direct savings to the province. The province s current program is projected to cost the province $6.4 million in Beyond the direct costs are indirect costs which arise from increases in mortality and disability associated with diabetes. The indirect costs for persons switching from daily insulin injections to an insulin pump lead to fewer serious complications for persons over age 18. This, in turn, leads to fewer deaths and a reduction in the people experiencing difficulty with daily living. 12 When considering both direct and indirect costs savings, expanding the insulin pump program to include persons over the age of 18 in British Columbia will reduce the net annual cost to an estimated $2.1 million in This amount is approximately $1.4 less than the net cost of the current program. The net annual savings to society after two decades amount to $5.3 million versus the estimated net cost of $6.4 million for the current program. 132 Figure These estimated cost projections assume the government to be the only payer. If an enhanced insulin pump program in British Columbia applied a similar division of payment to what is used in its current pediatric program, the actual program costs would be significantly less. 12 The Canadian Diabetes Cost Model mortality and disability costs are relatively conservative at $225,000 and $4,000 per person respectively 13 It is important to note that these figures concerning the reduction in the cost of treatment for long-term diabetes-related complications are estimates and may be subject to change. The 95% confidence bounds were used to estimate upper and lower bound savings in direct costs from reduced long-term complications. 14 CSII refers to Continuous Subcutaneous Insulin Infusion (or insulin pump usage). MDI refers to Multiple Daily Injection.

8 About the Report The report was prepared by Robin Somerville of The Centre for Spatial Economics (C4SE) using the CORE Model in conjunction with British Columbia Diabetes Cost Model to produce Canadian Diabetes Association specific scenarios for this report. The C4SE monitors, analyzes and forecasts economic and demographic change throughout Canada at virtually all levels of geography. It also prepares customized studies on the economic, industrial and community impacts of various fiscal and other policy changes, and develops customized impact and projection models for in-house client use.. The development of the report was supported through an unrestricted educational grant provided by Medtronic of Canada Ltd - a global leader in medical technology changing the face of chronic disease. We thank Medtronic Canada for its ongoing commitment to diabetes in Canada. About the Canadian Diabetes Association Today, more than nine million Canadians live with diabetes or prediabetes. Across the country, the Canadian Diabetes Association is leading the fight against diabetes by helping people with diabetes live healthy lives while we work to find a cure. Our communitybased network of supporters help us provide education and services to people living with diabetes, advocate for our cause, break ground towards a cure and translate research into practical applications.. For more information, please visit diabetes.ca or call BANTING ( ). Disclaimer: The British Columbia Diabetes Cost Model was created for the Association by the Centre for Spatial Economics based on the Canadian Diabetes Cost Model developed by Informetrica Limited. The two main sources of data used for the estimate and forecasts come from the National Diabetes Surveillance System (NDSS) and Health Canada s study the Economic Burden of Illness in Canada (EBIC). The Model aimed to integrate the administrative prevalence and incidence estimates from NDSS with the economic cost estimates from EBIC. The Model supports analysis of the sensitivity of the prevalence and cost estimates to changes in demographic data, incidence and mortality rates by age and sex, as well as the cost and utilization of healthcare services.