Home Blood Pressure Monitoring Saves Insurance Companies Money

According to new research published in the AHA’s journal, Hypertension — and the first of its kind — home blood pressure monitoring kits can save insurance companies money by improving healthcare quality and reducing healthcare costs.

Researchers found that for each dollar invested in home monitoring kits, insurance companies could expect a return on investment of $.85 to $3.75 in the first year. Over 10 years, the ROI could increase to $7.50 to $19.34 for each dollar spent.

"Our study provides evidence that reimbursement makes business sense for an insurance company," said Alejando Arrieta, PhD, the study’s lead author and assistant professor in the Department of Health Policy Management at Florida International University in Miami.

Researchers analyzed data from two health insurance plans, one operated by a Midwestern health maintenance organization, and one run by Medicare, for the years 2008-11.

Hypertension is a leading cause of death and a major drain on the economy. Nearly 1/3 of U.S. adults – 76 million of us – suffer from hypertension. Sometimes referred to as the silent killer because sufferers often exhibit no symptoms, it is estimated that 8% of us don’t even know we have it. And less than half of us who do know have it under control. Hypertension is of great concern because it leads to heart attack and stroke, two of the leading causes of death in the United States. In 2008, the most recent year for which statistics were compiled, hypertension was a primary contributing cause of death for 347,000 Americans. The financial costs of hypertension to the US economy are staggering: $156 billion annually, with medical costs accounting for just under $131 billion and the rest in lost productivity.

The American Heart Association recommends that people with high blood pressure monitor their levels at home, in addition to receiving regular monitoring by their health care provider. The association also recommends that patients be reimbursed for buying a home monitoring kit, and that healthcare providers receive reimbursement for associated costs.

ADC markets the Advantage Line of Home blood pressure monitors which include, four manual devices, one semi-automatic upper arm monitor, 3 fully automatic upper arm monitors and two wrist monitors. Our 4th generation line of Advantage monitors will be released in late August 2014.

To read the full article in Hypertension, click here.