Care management improves total cost of care for patients with dementia

Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies

Objectives To examine a 12-month dementia care management program's effect on health care cost, utilization, and overall return on investment in a Medicare managed care population. Study design Pre-post analysis of participants (n = 121) enrolled in Ochsner's Care Ecosystem program from 2019 through 2021 compared with propensity-matched controls (n = 121). The primary outcome comparison was total cost of care. Secondary outcomes included components of total cost of care (eg, inpatient, outpatient, emergency department [ED] costs), health care utilization (eg, number of ED visits), and differences in Hierarchical Condition Category (HCC) risk scores. Methods Difference-in-differences analyses were conducted from baseline through 12 months comparing various financial metrics and utilization between groups. Results Care Ecosystem participants had significantly lower total cost of care at 12 months, mean savings of $475.80 per member per month compared with controls. Care Ecosystem participants had fewer ED, outpatient, and professional visits. HCC risk scores were also better relative to matched controls. Conclusions A collaborative dementia care program demonstrated significant financial benefit in a managed Medicare population.

Key findings

• Objectives To examine a 12-month dementia care management program's effect on health care cost, utilization, and overall return on investment in a Medicare managed care population.
• Study design Pre-post analysis of participants (n = 121) enrolled in Ochsner's Care Ecosystem program from 2019 through 2021 compared with propensity-matched controls (n = 121).
• Results Care Ecosystem participants had significantly lower total cost of care at 12 months, mean savings of $475.80 per member per month compared with controls.
• Conclusions A collaborative dementia care program demonstrated significant financial benefit in a managed Medicare population.

Why it matters

In this pre-post analysis of 121 participants in a dementia care management program compared with 121 propensity-matched controls, participants had significantly lower total cost of care at 12 months, with mean savings of $475.80 per member per month, and fewer emergency department, outpatient, and professional visits. This shows a financial benefit of a collaborative dementia care program, not a treatment that cures or prevents Alzheimer's disease.

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Study details

• Study designcohort
• Participants242
• Effect size$475.80 per member per month lower total cost of care at 12 months
• Evidence strengthEarly

Read the original

• DOI: 10.37765/ajmc.2024.89559
• PubMed: 39146484
• Original source →

May need a subscription Unpaywall, Europe PMC and OpenAlex found no free copy of the full text (checked 10 Oct 2026), so the publisher may charge for it. The PubMed abstract is free.

@article{sawyer2024-39146484,
  author  = {Sawyer, R. J. and Pereira Osorio, C. and Sharma, S. and Brickell, E.},
  title   = {{Care management improves total cost of care for patients with dementia}},
  journal = {American Journal of Managed Care},
  year    = {2024},
  doi     = {10.37765/ajmc.2024.89559},
  pmid    = {39146484},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.37765/ajmc.2024.89559}
}

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