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Health economics

The science behind wiser health spending decisions

HealthPartners’ key strategies focus on improving health, experience and affordability for members, patients and the community. This is referred to as the Triple Aim. The affordability aim may seem to be in direct competition with improving the quality and experience of care. However, all three aspects contribute to the value of care – a key benchmark for the prioritization of limited resources.

Based on this value, our health economics research team serves as the analysis group for the National Commission on Prevention Priorities. We have been recognized for our:

  • Cost-effectiveness modeling experience
  • Analysis of evidence-based preventive care policies
  • Economic analysis of clinical and community health services interventions

We began to work on our health economic models in 1999. These models have been used in many ways to inform policy and medical decision-making. The work has grown to include a family of models known as HealthPartners Institute’s ModelHealth microsimulation models. These models address conditions such as obesity, tobacco use, colorectal and cervical cancers, sexually transmitted diseases and heart disease.

Investigators

Key projects

Value ranking of clinical preventive services

Under the support of the National Commission on Prevention Priorities, we published our third ranking of recommended preventive services in 2017. These rankings show the greatest benefit for health and value in terms of cost-effectiveness. Previous rankings published in 2001 and 2006 helped better align preventive services with value.

Aspirin for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease and colorectal cancer

Considering potential harms such as serious bleeding in the stomach or brain, we identified people most likely to benefit from long-term aspirin use. This helped the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force update its aspirin recommendation, with guidance tailored by age and sex on who should take daily aspirin to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and colorectal cancer.

Community Health Advisor

We developed the Community Health Advisor as a tool to compare the disease prevention impact of evidence-based policies and programs on communities. This public website was developed with funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Team-based care model for treatment of high blood pressure

With the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, we used ModelHealth: CVD (cardiovascular disease) to estimate the potential health impact and medical costs that could be prevented if we adopted team-based treatment of high blood pressure nationwide. This study found that this policy would prevent more than half a million events related to cardiovascular disease. It would also save more than $2 billion in health care costs over 10 years.

Childhood obesity

Would taxing sugar-sweetened drinks reduce childhood obesity? How about banning fast-food ads directed at children? Or starting after-school physical activity programs? This study found that taxing 1 cent per ounce on sugar-sweetened drinks would be the most effective change. It would reduce obesity in 13 to 18 year olds in the United States by 2.4 percent by 2032.

Key publications