UH CLEVELAND MEDICAL CENTER: Study Finds Removing Cost from Calcium Score Testing Increased Utilization

By Press release submission

Sep 24, 2020

UH Cleveland Medical Center issued the following announcement on Sept. 21.

Women, minorities, people in lower-income ZIP codes underwent more testing when offered at no cost

A study out of University Hospitals (UH) found that removing the cost barrier for coronary artery calcium (CAC) screening resulted in an immediate increase in utilization of the test. Furthermore, no-charge calcium screening was associated with an increase in representation by women, minorities and people living in ZIP codes with lower income. These findings strongly suggest that removing the cost burden will result in widespread use of CAC screening for cardiovascular risk assessment, especially in traditionally underserved groups.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States for both men and women. Every 40 seconds someone in America has a heart attack. CAC testing provides crucial information, measuring the amount of calcium that has accumulated in the walls of the coronary arteries as a surrogate for atherosclerosis, the process that results in a heart attack. A person’s calcium score is highly correlated with cardiovascular death and the chances of having a heart attack or stroke, with the higher scores representing a greater risk for subsequent events in the coming years. For example, a CAC score of greater than 400 is found in approximately 10% of those screened and is associated with a 10-year risk of heart attack, stroke or death of 25%.

Although CAC screening provides vital health information, it is generally not covered by insurance and can cost from $400 to $800. UH Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute began a system-wide low-charge ($99 per test) CAC program in 2014 and fully implemented no-cost CAC screening for all patients in January 2017.

“University Hospitals chose to offer no-cost calcium scoring as a benefit to the people of Northeast Ohio,” said Dan Simon, MD, UH Chief Clinical & Scientific Officer and President, UH Cleveland Medical Center. “As part of our mission to heal, UH has implemented programs to address health care disparities for underserved populations. Making this screening no-cost improves access for everyone, but especially minorities and those with lower incomes.”

Original source can be found here.