Association of High-Deductible Health Plans With Health Care Use and Costs for Patients With Cardiovascular Disease.

Background By increasing cost sharing, high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) aim to reduce low-value health care use. The association of HDHPs with health care use and costs in patients with chronic cardiovascular disease is unknown. Methods and Results This longitudinal cohort study analyzed 57 690 privately insured patients, aged 18 to 64 years, from a large commercial claims database with chronic cardiovascular disease from 2011 to 2019.

Geographic and Socioeconomic Disparities in Major Lower Extremity Amputation Rates in Metropolitan Areas.

Background Rates of major lower extremity amputation in patients with peripheral artery disease are higher in rural communities with markers of low socioeconomic status, but most Americans live in metropolitan areas. Whether amputation rates vary within US metropolitan areas is unclear, as are characteristics of high amputation rate urban communities. Methods and Results We estimated rates of major lower extremity amputation per 100 000 Medicare beneficiaries between 2010 and 2018 at the ZIP code level among ZIP codes with ≥100 beneficiaries.