Remote patient monitoring grew fourfold during the pandemic’s first year, according to the analysis of OptumLabs Data Warehouse data from January 1, 2019, to March 31, 2021. The database includes Medicare Advantage claims that total about 20 million people annually.
Out of a group of 342 high-volume providers, 0.1 percent accounted for 69 percent of all general remote patient monitoring claims, the Sept. 6 study found.
But the Harvard University researchers said they didn’t observe that the high-volume providers targeted patients with more severe or uncontrolled disease. They said growth rates “indicate that total spending on remote patient monitoring could quickly escalate” and potentially burden CMS and other payers financially.
“More research is needed to identify which patients and use cases benefit most from remote patient monitoring,” the study’s authors wrote. “In the meantime, payers and policymakers should closely monitor its use and be prepared to establish appropriate controls as informed by new evidence.”
