Budget Impact of a Digital Wellness Intervention for Managing Depression and Anxiety: A Payer and Employer Perspective
Author(s)
Kavelaars R1, Powell T2, Mohandas A3
1Happify Health, New York, NY, USA, 2Happify Health, Saratoga Springs, NY, USA, 3Happify Health, TUSTIN , CA, USA
Objectives: To examine for payers and employers the budget impact of a digital wellness intervention (DWI) for managing depression and anxiety vs. psychoeducation. Methods: The budget impact model utilized a difference-in-difference model to estimate change in costs from baseline to post-intervention for a DWI (Happify Health) and psychoeducation. The change in costs (2021 USD) for each intervention was estimated using four depression-related health states (none, mild, moderate, severe), with a subdistribution of anxiety levels (none, mild/moderate, severe) within each state. Efficacy data from a real-world analysis of people with mild to severe depression (PHQ>4) who used both interventions was used. Based on the Kantar 2019 National Health and Wellness Survey (NHWS), a 40% prevalence was used for people with depression symptoms (self-reported and undiagnosed). Direct medical costs and productivity loss costs were estimated from NHWS for each depression and concurrent anxiety level. Impact of DWI engagement was also examined. Impacts of 3-5% activation and 40-60% retention were assessed for the DWI vs. psychoeducation at a population level. Cost of the DWI varied from $100-$300 per activated member. Results: The DWI could potentially result in direct cost-savings of $2,322/person and total cost-savings of $2,635/person annually, vs. psychoeducation. If each individual used the DWI at higher engagement levels (>16 activities in 8 weeks), the potential annual medical cost-savings would be $3,794/person. After applying the cost of the DWI ($100), the potential savings were $6,481,368 for a population of 1 million with 3% activation and 40% retention. Conclusion: Cost-savings for the DWI are driven by changing depression severity, and activation and retention at a population level. Increased DWI engagement could result in higher economic savings for employers and payers due to increased symptom improvement, compared to psychoeducation.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2022-05, ISPOR 2022, Washington, DC, USA
Value in Health, Volume 25, Issue 6, S1 (June 2022)
Code
EE485
Topic
Economic Evaluation, Medical Technologies
Topic Subcategory
Budget Impact Analysis, Digital Health
Disease
No Additional Disease & Conditions/Specialized Treatment Areas