At a glance
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The Effect of Informative Letters on the Prescription and Receipt of Schedule II Controlled Substances
In Brief
A clinical study evaluating Informative letter for Economics and 4 related conditions. Completed, enrolled 1,525 participants.
Detailed Summary
Fraud and waste is estimated to cost the American health care system nearly $200 billion each year, and the public Medicare and Medicaid programs about $60 billion each year. This study will evaluate a new method for fighting fraud: mailing informative letters to outlier providers to notify them of their aberrant behavior. These letters are targeted at high prescribers of schedule II controlled substances in Medicare Part D. The investigators will look at the effects of these letters on the behavior of providers and their patients. These effects are of substantial policy interest as they suggest how to best design anti-fraud policies. They are also of academic interest, shedding light on the behavior of physicians and their patients.
Study Details
Timeline
Interventions
The intervention is a letter that describes the Schedule II prescribing activity of the individual in comparison to a peer group of similar prescribers. It highlights the fact that the prescriber's activity is highly unlike her peers.