Malnutrition Prevalence and Economic Burden Among US Hospitalized Older Adult Patients with and without COVID-19

Objectives: Malnutrition is a prevalent condition affecting 30-50% of hospitalized patients. Malnutrition is linked to impairments in health outcomes and increased economic burden on healthcare systems. We assessed the prevalence and burden of malnutrition by examining demographic characteristics, Disease Related Group (DRG) payments and associated claims among Medicare inpatients (65+ years) with and without COVID-19. Method(s): Hospital inpatient COVID-19 claims from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) between October 2020 - September 2021 were analyzed. The International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, and Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) were used for malnutrition diagnoses. Demographic variables were compared based on the COVID-19 status;economic burden was analyzed by DRG payment of malnutrition cases with and without COVID-19. Result(s): Among 7,394,657 Medicare inpatient claims, only 12% had a documented malnutrition diagnosis. Of these patients, 1.2% had COVID-19. Regardless of COVID-19 status, malnourished patients averaged 75 years of age, and were predominantly female (54%) and White (78%) followed by Black (14%), and Hispanic (2%). Sepsis, kidney failure, and urinary tract infection (UTI) were the most common primary diagnoses in malnourished patients, regardless of COVID-19 status. Malnourished patients with COVID-19 had significantly higher DRG payments ($27,407 vs. $18,327) and increased cost of outlier payment ($3,208 vs. $2,049) compared to those without COVID-19, regardless of other diagnoses. Conclusion(s): Malnutrition diagnosis was confirmed in only 12% of the Medicare inpatients, thus suggesting that malnutrition continues to be underdiagnosed and undertreated - evidenced by high rates of hospitalizations/claims and payments in both COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 cases. It is imperative for hospitals to implement nutrition-focused protocols to identify, diagnose and address malnutrition among all Medicare inpatients regardless of COVID-19 status (and especially among patients with sepsis, kidney failure, and UTI). Nutrition-focused protocols can effectively improve patient health outcomes and reduce healthcare costs.Copyright © 2023

ROCKY ROAD AHEAD FOR NEW FDA CHIEF CALIFF

Final Senate approval by a historically narrow 50-46 vote came only after the White House and Califf's supporters lobbied hard to gain sufficient support, a success that is very different from Califf's 89-4 approval back in 2016. Pressure to help control the high cost of prescription drugs will continue to drive FDA support for developing complex generic drugs and biosimilars. There is pressure to clarify rules governing e-cigarettes;a need to address serious health problems arising from contaminated food and seafood, including significant volumes of imported products;and the safety of cosmetic products, dietary supplements, sunscreens, and other non-prescription products raise additional complex issues.

Billing basics and fundamentals

Prior to the public health emergency (PHE), there were efforts to advance telemedicine. The hurdles posed by reimbursement were one of the elements limiting its expansion. Billing rules varied pre PHE between private and governmental payers. The major billing changes during PHE sustained the health care system and provided access to care. Anticipated changes in billing post PHE will determine the future of telehealth. The aim of the chapter is to provide an overview of fundamentals of telehealth billing. First, we will focus on providing a basic understanding of all key stake holder payers, and the telehealth billing code system. Subsequently, we will outline telehealth services and coverage prior to and during the PHE. Finally, we attempt to review a sample of the current bills introduced to congress, shaping the future post PHE. © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Budget Impact Analysis of COVID-19 Vaccines on U.S. Medicare and Commercial Health Plans after Depletion of the Federally-Purchased Supply

Objectives: To analyze the budget impact (BI) of Covid-19 vaccines from a mixed U.S commercial and Medicare payer perspective after depletion of the Federally-Purchased Supply (FPS). Method(s): BI analyses were conducted in a hypothetical one-million member health plan with a mixed commercial (55%) and Medicare (45%) population over a one-year time horizon based on the current (January 2023) Covid-19 vaccine recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The two scenarios in the model include 1) the health plan does not pay for Covid-19 vaccines, and 2) after the depletion of FPS, the health plan must cover all costs for Covid-19 vaccines. Model inputs include the market shares of available Covid-19 vaccines in the US as of December 2022, Covid-19 vaccine utilization trends stratified into age groups (<12, 12-17, 18-24, 25-49, 50-64, >=65 years old) between commercial and Medicare populations, and predicted Covid-19 vaccine costs. Model inputs were based on the CDC publicly available data, real world evidence, published literature, and expert opinions. Sensitivity analyses (SA) were conducted to test uncertainties arising from the input values in the model. Result(s): The number of members receiving one primary dose, completed Covid-19 vaccine series, one booster dose and two booster doses was estimated at 9,253, 49,720, 594,933 and 29,387, respectively. The incremental Covid-19 vaccine cost per member per month over one year after depletion of the FPS was $5.92 for the commercial population, $8.93 for the Medicare population, and $7.27 for the total population in the health plan. In the SA, the largest effect was observed for the scenario which varied the percentage of population >=65 years old receiving one booster dose. Conclusion(s): The model results indicate that there will be a high budget impact from a mixed U.S commercial and Medicare perspective after depletion of the FPS of Covid-19 vaccines.Copyright © 2023

Stakeholder Analysis: Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program Awareness and Implementation

Study Design: We conducted a qualitative stakeholder analysis project with suppliers of the MDPP and health care providers. Am J Manag Care. 2023;29(6):In Press _____ Takeaway Points More than 5 years after CMS enacted coverage of the CDC-approved Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program (MDPP) in 2018, little is known about why MDPP uptake is so limited. * Findings of our stakeholder analysis with program suppliers and health care providers reinforced existing evidence on insufficient reimbursement and low awareness of the program. * Newer insights include recommendations about lagged payments, ongoing virtual delivery, and formally diagnosing prediabetes among MDPP participants. * Our findings on barriers and facilitators can inform policy to refine the MDPP and research on the MDPP, particularly within the field of implementation science. _____ Population-level strategies to prevent type 2 diabetes are urgently needed for the more than 24 million older adults with prediabetes in the United States.1 Evidence-based lifestyle interventions can prevent diabetes onset, per evidence from the landmark Diabetes Prevention Program trial.2 Thus, the CDC launched the National Diabetes Prevention Program (NDPP) in 2010.3 Significant reductions in weight and medical spending were observed among Medicare beneficiaries who participated in the NDPP,4 prompting CMS to fully cover the Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program (MDPP) starting in 2018.5 Despite unprecedented Medicare coverage for a disease prevention program, MDPP uptake is limited. Regarding awareness, national guidelines recommend referral to lifestyle intervention for adults aged 40 to 70 years with prediabetes.9 Yet less than 5% of adults eligible for a NDPP reported receiving a referral,10 which may stem from limited awareness among health care providers.11 Thus, we conducted a qualitative stakeholder analysis to learn about regional awareness of, referral to, facilitators of, and barriers to the MDPP. The 8 interviewees included 5 program directors (3 from YMCAs, 1 from a private organization, and 1 from a hospital system) and 3 health care providers (2 family physicians and 1 dietitian).

Innovative Methods for Integrating Social Determinants of Health Data with Administrative Claims to Facilitate Health Equity Research

Objectives: The Covid-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of considering Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) in healthcare research. Administrative claims databases are widely used for research, but often lack SDoH data or sufficient transparency in how these data were obtained. This study describes innovative methods for integrating SDoH data with administrative claims to facilitate health equity research. Method(s): The HealthCore Integrated Research Database (HIRD) contains medical and pharmacy claims from a large, national US payer starting in 2006 and includes commercial (Comm), Medicare Advantage (MCare), and Medicaid (MCaid) populations. The HIRD includes individually identifiable information, which was used for linking with SDoH data from the following sources: national neighborhood-level data from the American Community Survey, the Food Access Research Atlas, and the National Center for Health Statistics' urbanicity classification;and member-level data on race/ethnicity from enrollment files, medical records, self-attestation, and imputation algorithms. We examined SDoH metrics for members enrolled as of 05-July-2022 and compared them to the respective US national data using descriptive statistics. We also examined telehealth utilization in 2022. Result(s): SDoH data were available for ~95% of currently active members in the HIRD (Comm/MCare/MCaid 12.5m/1m/7.6m). Socioeconomic characteristics at the neighborhood-level differed by membership type and vs. national data: % of members with at least a high-school education (90/88/84 vs. 87);median family income ($98k/$76k/$70k vs. $82k);% of members living in low-income low-food-access tracts (9/14/18 vs. 13);urban (57/52/47 vs. 61). At the member-level, the % of White Non-Hispanics, Black Non-Hispanics, Asian Non-Hispanics, and Hispanics were 61/6/5/6 (Comm), 76/12/2/2 (MCare), and 45/26/5/19 (MCaid). Imputation contributed 15-60% of race/ethnicity values across membership types. Telehealth utilization increased with socioeconomic status. Conclusion(s): We successfully integrated SDoH data from a variety of sources with administrative claims. SDoH characteristics differed by type of insurance coverage and were associated with differences in telehealth utilization.Copyright © 2023

Medical Costs, Hospitalizations, and Length of Stay Associated with Discontinuations in Cycled Oral Antineoplastics Among Medicare-Eligible Oncology Patients

Objectives: Investigate the utilization of cycled antineoplastic therapies (where dosages vary per monthly supply) for various cancers among Medicare-eligible patients, and medical costs and outcomes associated with discontinuation gaps in monthly adherence. Method(s): This retrospective study used the MarketScan Supplemental and Coordination of Benefits Design databases from 2019-2020. Discontinuations were calculated for 2020 utilizing cycled medications (8 generic products) from 6 therapeutic categories, where discontinuation was defined as the first gap in medication supply during the last 6 months of the year at intervals of >=1.5*prior supply. Continuous enrollment was required, as were ICD oncology diagnosis codes for those at least 65 years of age. New to therapy/diagnosis was inferred from 2019 metric files. Patients were excluded if hospice care and inpatient transplant services were indicated. Models examined adherence level (discontinued or not) and 10 covariates (including COVID-19 indications), with interaction terms, for significant associations with medical costs (inpatient and outpatient), hospitalizations, and length of hospital stay (LOS). Result(s): Patients who met metric criteria (n=1,357;Mean age 73.9) had a discontinuation rate of 16.7%. A total of 64.0% were new to therapy/diagnosis and 5.2% were identified having COVID-19 in 2020. However, COVID-19 was not significantly correlated with a discontinuation. Hospitalization rate was at 30.3% with mean LOS=9.8. Models found significant discontinuation effects with increased total medical costs ($11,977, p<.03), odds of hospitalization (2.7, p<.0001), and LOS (5.4, p<.03). COVID-19 patients had significantly higher total medical costs ($18,145, p<.007), odds of hospitalization (6.3, p<.0001), and non-oncology LOS (4.6, p<.009). Significant covariate interactions are discussed in the poster. Conclusion(s): Medication adherence (fewer gaps in medication coverage) on cycled oral antineoplastics can lead to lower medical costs and fewer hospitalization events or LOS as compared to lower adherence levels. This was independent of COVID-19 indications that were associated with increased costs, hospitalization, and non-cancer LOS.Copyright © 2023

A critique of clinical economy: reassessing value and care during covid-19—an essay by Eric Reinhart and Daniel Brauner

For decades, American medical practice has been organised around billing codes, with severe consequences for patient care and physician morale. The interruption of routine clinic visits owing to covid-19 presents an opportunity to reconsider the guiding principles of clinical care, write Eric Reinhart and Daniel Brauner

Incidence and Persistence of Post-COVID-19 Conditions in the Year Following Initial Diagnosis

Objectives: Long-COVID, the persistence of various symptoms after COVID-19 infection, is still not fully understood. This study evaluated the incidence and chronicity of post-COVID-19 conditions using administrative claims, which provide a large, generalizable sample, to provide insight into the scope of long-COVID in the United States. Method(s): Patients newly diagnosed with COVID-19 from 4/1/2020-3/31/2021 were identified in the MerativeTM MarketScan Commercial and Medicare databases. The first COVID-19 diagnosis served as the index date and patients were continuously eligible for 12-months pre- and post-index. Incident conditions were defined as a new diagnosis (no pre-period diagnoses) for one of 17 conditions of interest in the first 60-days of the post-period. Among patients with an incident condition, chronicity of the condition was assessed over the remaining post-period (long-term conditions). Result(s): The sample included 503,742 patients;mean+/-SD age was 39.5+/-16.5 and 46% were male. The most common incident conditions were respiratory symptoms (24.1%), fatigue (7.3%), muscle pain (6.0%), and headache (5.9%). Among patients with each of these conditions, long-term persistence was observed in 21.9% for respiratory symptoms, 36.8% for muscle pain, 18.3% for fatigue, and 16.0% for headache. Fewer than 5% patients evidenced incident anxiety, mood disorders, myocarditis, sleep disorders, or pulmonary embolism;however, among these patients, over 40% had long-term persistence of the condition. Among patients with long-term conditions, sleep disorders (248+/-98 days), mood disorders (239+/-96 days), anxiety (236+/-95 days), respiratory symptoms (233+/-92 days), and asthma (230+/-93 days) had the longest average durations of persistence, evidenced by continued claims over the post-period. Conclusion(s): With the continued presence of COVID-19 an understanding of the risk of long-term symptoms is needed to help manage patients both during and following infection. These findings provide some initial insight into the incidence and tenure of various conditions that are affecting patients diagnosed with COVID-19.Copyright © 2023

Looking in the Rearview Mirror and to the Road Ahead on Dementia & Living Well

The number of Americans living with Alzheimer's and all other dementias continues to increase. Most of them will need long-term and community-based services as the disease progresses. While medical research is making advances, there is more work to be done to ensure that every person receives care that is person-centered and allows them to live with dignity and respect.

Evidence Trends in Remote Patient Monitoring and Remote Therapeutic Monitoring

Objectives: To provide an overview of trends in the current evidence landscape of products and services in development that support remote patient monitoring (RPM) and remote therapeutic monitoring (RTM), given the release of new billing codes for RPM and RTM by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in 2019. Method(s): A focused literature review was conducted in PubMed. Articles published between January 1, 2013 and January 1, 2023 were eligible for inclusion if reported technologies were classified as RPM (defined as the collection and interpretation of physiologic data digitally stored and/or transmitted by patients and/or caregivers to qualified health care professionals) or RTM (defined as the use of medical devices to monitor a patient's health or response to treatment using non-physiological data), following CMS definitions. RPM and RTM technologies included hardware, software, telehealth, and blockchain applications. Articles were then categorized using a semi-automated software platform (AutoLit, Nested Knowledge, St. Paul, MN) based on disease area, study design, intervention, and outcomes studied. Result(s): Of the 673 records screened, 245 articles were included. Observational studies (19.6%) were the most common study design, followed by systematic or focused literature reviews (11.0%) and narrative reviews (10.6%). The most common disease areas included cardiology (25.7%), coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19;13.9%), and diabetes (9.4%). The most frequent clinical, non-clinical, and patient-reported outcomes were symptom monitoring (20.8%), all cause readmission and hospitalization rates (both 7.3%), and patient experience (7.8%), respectively. Conclusion(s): CMS policy and coding practices for RPM and RTM are evolving, and this trend is likely to continue into the future. This review provides details on the current evidence trends associated with RPM/RTM technologies. Evidence development of RPM and RTM should be assessed as evidence needs for coverage and reimbursement may receive increased payer management.Copyright © 2023

Building Research Capacity in Primary Care Practices That Serve Predominantly Racial and Ethnic Minority Populations

In this commentary, we report on lessons learned over 2 years (2020-2022) from conducting primary care research through a novel alliance of an ACO consisting of independent practices, a health plan, and several academic researchers, with the support of a private foundation. Am J Manag Care. 2023;29(6):In Press _____ Takeaway Points The process of collaborating on research was mutually beneficial for a network of independent practices and a group of academic researchers. * The process benefited the practices by facilitating more precise thinking about quality improvement, motivating the staff, and enabling readiness for health system change. * The process benefited the researchers by illuminating nuances of clinical and organizational workflow and revealing the practices' in-depth understanding of the communities they serve. * If practices have more federally funded opportunities to consistently participate in research, it could help speed greater adoption of payment reform models to promote health equity at the state and national levels. _____ A 2021 National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine report, Implementing High-Quality Primary Care, has called out the persistent "neglect of basic primary care research" in the United States.1 A 2020 study by the RAND Corporation found that primary care research represents only 1% of all federally funded projects (including projects funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality [AHRQ], and the Veterans Health Administration).2 However, innovation in primary care is central to advancing health care delivery. Leaders in health care innovation recently called for CMS to test a proposal for primary care payment reform in accountable care organizations (ACOs) composed of independent practices (ie, practices not owned by hospitals).3 By innovating in independent practices, these leaders argued that CMS would provide incentives for those practices to stay independent, thereby potentially decreasing the vertical market consolidation that contributes to rising health care costs.3 Yet these same practices may have less experience with the kind of systematic innovation that leads to generalizable insights, because what little funding is available for primary care research is mostly awarded to large academic medical centers.1 AHRQ's practice-based research networks have not fully addressed this gap, as they have struggled to find infrastructure and maintain funding.1 In this commentary, we report on the lessons we learned over 2 years (2020-2022) from conducting primary care research through a novel alliance of an ACO consisting of independent practices, a health plan, and several academic researchers, with the support of a private foundation. [...]ACPNY found that experience with research facilitates innovation and readiness for health system change (lesson 1C).

Differences in Concussion Diagnosis By Sex and Age Group in a General Population

Objectives: Female athletes have a higher risk of concussion than their male counterparts but there is a need to investigate these differences in a general population. We assessed reported concussions during a pre-COVID time period in a claims database to compare the prevalence across sexes and ages. Method(s): Using the MerativeTM MarketScan Commercial and Medicare Databases and Treatment Pathways tool, patients were included in the current study if they had continuous enrollment in the database from January 1, 2018 - December 31, 2019 and were between the ages of 14-65. The prevalence of concussions, identified using ICD-10-DX codes, was calculated for all cohorts (14-17, 18-23, >=24 years) and compared statistically between males and females. A secondary analysis, restricted to those with at least one year of continuous enrollment after the initial concussion, was conducted to determine if the proportion of patients who had a diagnosis code for a concussion at least 30 days after the first concussion differed across cohorts. Result(s): Approximately 9 million patients met the inclusion criteria for the study. A total of 66,098 patients had a claim for a concussion during the study period (56% female). The prevalence of concussions was 0.7% and 0.8% among males and females, respectively (p-value<.0001). Females were more likely to be diagnosed with a concussion than males in all age cohorts, with prevalence decreasing with age. Among patients with at least one concussion, 11.7% of males and 16.9% of females had a diagnosis code for a concussion at least 30 days after the initial code (p-value<.0001). Conclusion(s): This study supports previous research done in athletic populations and provides evidence that in a general population the prevalence of concussions is higher among females across all age groups. Further research is needed to investigate why the risk of concussion differs across sexes.Copyright © 2023

The Effect of COVID-19 on Care for Chronic Wounds Among Medicare Beneficiaries Using Medicare Claims - 2019, 2020, and 2021

Objectives: Examine the effect of COVID-19 on chronic wound care service provision for Medicare beneficiaries in 2019, 2020, and 2021. Method(s): This retrospective analysis of Medicare claims data included beneficiaries who received care for diabetic foot ulcers and infections, arterial ulcers;skin disorders and infections, surgical wounds and infections;traumatic wounds;venous ulcers and infections, unspecified chronic ulcers, and others. We extracted all claims for each targeted beneficiary across all care settings and from the Medicare Beneficiary Summary File for 2019 to 2021. The outcomes were: 1) prevalence of each wound type, 2) Medicare expenditures by wound type, and expenditures by type of service. Result(s): Over the 3-year period, the number of Medicare beneficiaries with a wound generally decreased in 2020, then increased in 2021 to a higher level than in 2019. In 2019, 16.4% of Medicare beneficiaries (10.6M) had at least one type of wound. In 2020, 14.9% of Medicare beneficiaries (9.8M) were diagnosed with wounds (a decrease of 7.1%), and in 2021, 16.1% of Medicare beneficiaries (10.8M) were diagnosed with wounds, an increase of 1.9% from 2019. In 2021, approximately 2.7% of beneficiaries had a claim with a wound diagnosis that had been added in FY2020, or 0.4% of all Medicare beneficiaries. The prevalence of COVID-19 among beneficiaries with chronic wounds was 896,198 (9.1%) in 2020, rising to 1.2M (11.1%) in 2021. Using our mid-range estimates of Medicare expenditures, wound care totaled $24.7B in 2019, $23.9B in 2020, and $26.3B in 2021. Conclusion(s): These results emphasize the ongoing prevalence of chronic wounds among Medicare beneficiaries and suggest the decrease in care during the pandemic contributed to a relative increase in care and expenditures in 2021. We found a shift in the site of care from skilled nursing facilities toward home health as individuals sought to avoid COVID-19 exposure.Copyright © 2023

Screening for Social Determinants of Health Among Medicare Beneficiaries in Primary Care During the Covid-19 Pandemic in Prince George's County, Maryland.

Primary care providers in Prince George's County, Maryland reported inconsistencies in their ability to identify and refer patients with social care needs. This project aimed to improve health outcomes of Medicare beneficiaries by implementing social determinant of health (SDOH) screening to identify unmet needs and improve rates of referral to appropriate services. Buy-in was achieved from providers and frontline staff via stakeholder meetings at a private primary care group practice. The Health Leads questionnaire was modified and integrated into the electronic health record. Medical assistants (MA) were trained to conduct screening and initiate care plan referrals prior to visits with the medical provider. During implementation, 96.25% of patients (n = 231) agreed to screening. Of these, 13.42% (n = 31) screened positive for at least one SDOH need, and 48.39% (n = 15) reported multiple social needs. Top needs included social isolation (26.23%), literacy (16.39%), and financial concerns (14.75%). All patients screening positive for one or more social needs were provided referral resources. Patients who identified as being of Mixed or Other race had significantly higher rates of positive screens (p = 0.032) compared to Caucasians, African Americans, and Asians. Patients were more likely to report SDOH needs during in-person visits (17.22%) compared to telehealth visits (p = 0.020). Screening for SDOH needs is feasible and sustainable and can improve the identification of SDOH needs and resource referrals. A limitation of this project was the lack of follow-up to determine whether patients with positive SDOH screens had been successfully linked to resources after initial referral.

Evaluation of the impact of guideline communication from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services among US healthcare providers: COVID-19 prevention counselling guidance.

AIM: To evaluate healthcare provider awareness and uptake of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) billing for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) prevention counselling and the delivery of prevention counselling to patients awaiting severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 test results. DESIGN: Cross sectional survey of US-based healthcare providers in February 2021. METHODS: Analysis of associations with healthcare provider-reported awareness of CMS prevention counselling guidance and billing with provider type, specialty, and work setting. RESULTS: A total of 1919 healthcare providers responded to the survey. Overall, 38% (726/1919) of providers reported awareness of available CMS reimbursement for COVID-19 patient counselling and 29% (465/1614) of CMS billing-eligible providers reported billing for this counselling. Among physicians, those aware of CMS guidance were significantly more likely to bill (58%) versus those unaware (10%). Among RNSights respondents eligible for CMS billing (n = 114), 31% of those aware of the guidance reported billing as compared to 0% of those not aware.

Medicare Changes in Response to COVID-19: Unintended Effects for Beneficiaries With Mental Illness or Substance Use Disorders.

OBJECTIVE: The authors explored potential unintended consequences of Medicare policy changes in response to the COVID-19 pandemic for beneficiaries with behavioral health care needs. METHODS: The authors collected policies relevant to mental health and substance use care. Informed by a literature review conducted in spring 2022, the authors convened a modified Delphi panel with 13 experts in June 2022. The authors assessed expert consensus through panelist surveys conducted before and after the panel convened. RESULTS: Two policies that had a risk for unintended consequences for those with behavioral health care needs were identified. Panelists identified a discharge planning waiver as likely to decrease care access, care quality, and desirable outcomes and HIPAA enforcement discretion as likely to increase access to care and desirable outcomes (with some mixed effects on other outcomes) for Medicare beneficiaries with mental illness or substance use disorders. CONCLUSIONS: Policies implemented quickly during the pandemic did not always account for unintended consequences for beneficiaries with behavioral health care needs.