Characterization of Heavily Treatment-Experienced People With HIV and Impact on Health Care Resource Utilization in US Commercial and Medicare Advantage Health Plans

BACKGROUND: This retrospective administrative claims study aimed to describe clinical characteristics, health care resource utilization (HCRU), and costs of people with HIV (PWH) in US commercial and Medicare Advantage health plans by antiretroviral treatment (ART) experience and CD4+ cell count. METHODS: Data from the national Optum Research Database between January 1, 2014, and March 31, 2018, for adult PWH continuously enrolled 6 months before and ≥12 months after the first ART identified (follow-up) were summarized by treatment (heavily treatment-experienced [HTE] with limited remaining ART options, treatment-experienced but not HTE [non-HTE], or treatment-naive starting a first antiretroviral regimen) and index CD4+ cell count (<200, 200–500, or >500 cells/mm(3)). RESULTS: Compared with non-HTE (n=7604) and treatment-naive PWH (n=4357), HTE PWH (n=2297) were older (53.5 vs 48.8 and 42.3 years), were more likely to have HIV-related emergency department visits (22.3% vs 12.4% and 18.6%) and inpatient stays (15.8% vs 7.1% and 10.3%), and had a higher mean (SD) daily pill burden (9.7 [7.7] vs 5.1 [5.9] and 3.6 [5.3] pills/d) and a higher mortality rate (5.9% vs 2.9% and 2.3%) during follow-up (all P<.001). More HTE (21.8%) and treatment-naive PWH (27.0%) had <200 CD4+ cells/mm(3) vs non-HTE PWH (8.0%; P<.001). All-cause and HIV-related costs were higher among HTE PWH in all CD4+ cell count strata and treatment-naive PWH with CD4+ cell counts <200 cells/mm(3) vs non-HTE PWH in all CD4+ cell count strata. CONCLUSIONS: Improved support and clinical monitoring of HTE PWH are needed to prevent worsening outcomes and increased costs.