A new study, published in Managed Care, shows there may be substantial payer cost savings associated with radiofrequency energy treatment of GERD patients, such as Stretta therapy, as compared to treatment with medical management or fundoplication.
Researchers conducted a retrospective analysis of claims to assess the longitudinal costs and budget impact on payer expenditures associated with managing and treating GERD surgically (through Nissen fundoplication), endoscopically (through radiofrequency energy treatment), or medically.
Here are four insights:
1. The study found increasing the total number of radiofrequency energy treatment procedures to 2 percent of total cases performed generated savings of $0.28 per-member, per-month in the Medicare population and $0.37 in the commercially insured population.
2. At current adoption rates (less than 1 percent of total procedures), radiofrequency energy treatment demonstrated overall cost savings ranging from 7.3 percent to 50.5 percent in the 12-month time period following the index procedure.
3. Study authors note this "economic analysis demonstrates to payers that the adoption of RFE can create notable savings to their plans."
4. Mederi Therapeutics manufactures devices that use radiofrequency energy to treat digestive diseases. Its flagship product, Stretta Therapy, is a clinically validated, non-surgical procedure that uses radiofrequency energy to improve GERD symptoms.