DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--An actuarial analysis of Catapult Health patients who received Catapult checkups over a two-year period yielded potential annual savings up to $394 per person or an ROI of 2.19. The analysis was conducted by Santa Barbara Actuaries and assessed actual Catapult patient health outcomes and applied average cost estimates derived from the IBM MarketScan® Commercial Insurance claims data.
“We are excited about the findings of this study,” said Catapult CEO David Michel. “We’ve known for years that early identification and treatment of disease produces the best and least costly outcomes. Now we can associate meaningful validated cost savings with those outcomes.”
“Delayed treatment of chronic disease often results in greater complexities and costs, along with poorer outcomes,” added Dr. Dan McCoy, Catapult’s Chief Medical Officer. “Unfortunately, the gradual onset of type 2 diabetes and hypertension masks its symptoms. People often don’t feel worse until irreversible damage has been done to their kidneys, heart, and other vital organs. Regular preventive care is critical to minimize the impact of these conditions that afflict more than half of all American adults.”
The savings were the results of several health improvements. Some Catapult patients who had no history of hypertension or diabetes and had initial test results that were in a range indicating they had one or both of the diseases, improved to a healthy range three years later. Another contributing factor included patients who had a previous diagnosis of hypertension and/or diabetes, whose test results indicated they were not effectively managing their disease during their first checkup, and who improved to a controlled range during their most recent checkup. Although the numbers were relatively small, improvements in depression also yielded savings. The actuaries also found significant improvements in flu vaccination compliance, which may produce additional savings.
Savings as a result of the Catapult checkup costing less than a traditional in-office checkup delivers additional employer benefit from avoided work absence needed for an in-office checkup.
“Numerous studies have been published that establish the financial benefits of improvement for specific health issues, such as diabetes and hypertension,” said Dr. Ian Duncan FSA, president of Santa Barbara Actuaries, Inc. “Combining improvement in member clinical outcomes with average claims costs of members in the MarketScan® database allows us to estimate the financial value of Catapult checkups. We believe that this study reasonably estimates the potential value of a Catapult checkup.”
There were other areas in which improvement was noted, including lipid disorders, compliance with cancer screening, and lifestyle behaviors, such as tobacco use and physical activity. However, savings from those improvements were not considered in this analysis.
The calculations included estimated costs of follow-up visits to the patients’ primary care provider and resulting costs of medication when needed.
About Catapult Health
Catapult Health incorporates clinical results to drive health savings by conducting preventive care checkups using its proprietary VirtualCheckup® Home Kit solution, as well as onsite clinics. Patients receive their blood chemistry, depression screening, and other test results, and engage in a consultation with a board-certified Nurse Practitioner. For more information, please visit us on www.CatapultHealth.com.
About Santa Barbara Actuaries Inc.
Santa Barbara Actuaries is an actuarial and healthcare consulting firm specializing in value-based contracting and data analytics. We use our skills and experience to help guide our clients to optimal decisions, interventions, and results. For more information visit www.sbactuaries.com
About IBM MarketScan® Research Databases
Certain data used in this study were supplied by International Business Machines Corporation as part of one or more IBM MarketScan® Research Databases. Any analysis, interpretation, or conclusion based on these data is solely that of the authors and not International Business Machines Corporation.
