Impact of a value-based insurance design for physical therapy to treat back pain on care utilization and cost

OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of a value-based insurance design providing enhanced access to physical therapy (PT) for treatment of back pain on treatment patterns and cost of care. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective analysis of claims data obtained from Geisinger Health Plan (GHP). In April 2013, GHP began offering “PT bundle” – i.e., a bundle of up to five PT visits for a single one-time copay that can be renewed for another bundle of five PT visits – for its employer-based plan members with back pain. METHODS: A cohort of GHP members who were preauthorized for the PT bundle were compared against a contemporaneous cohort of GHP members who were preauthorized for PT under the standard per-visit copay arrangement between January 2013 and October 2014. RESULTS: Among the PT bundle cohort, the PT visit rate during the first 9 months since the PT preauthorization date had dramatically increased and then gradually decreased in subsequent months. The PT bundle was also associated with 29%–35% short-term reductions in emergency department visits and with 12%–20% reductions in primary care visits after 6 months. No significant impact on hospitalization or cost was observed. CONCLUSION: Implementation of the PT bundle appears to have led to a change in the treatment pattern of back pain that is more consistent with the recommended guidelines to use more conservative management such as PT as the first-line treatment for back pain.