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Objective: The cost-effectiveness of palivizumab has previously been reported among certain guideline-eligible, high-risk premature infants in Medicaid. Because guideline authorities base decisions on a national perspective, the economic model of palivizumab was adapted to include all infants, that is, public and privately insured patients (60% of palivizumab use is public, 40% is private)., Methods: This study examined four groups of premature infants without chronic lung disease of prematurity or congenital heart disease: (1) <32 weeks gestational age (wGA) and ≤ 6 months chronologic age (CA); (2) 32-34 wGA, ≤ 3 months CA, with 2009 American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) risk factors (RFs); (3) 32-35 wGA, ≤ 6 months CA, with 2006 AAP RFs; and (4) 32-35 wGA, ≤ 6 months CA, with ≤ 1 RF. An average estimate was used between public and private payors for (1) background rates of respiratory syncytial virus hospitalization (RSV-H), (2) direct medical costs associated with RSV-H, and (3) cost of palivizumab. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) are reported in cost per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) gained. Sensitivity analyses were performed., Results: Palivizumab saved costs and improved QALYs among infants <32 wGA. Palivizumab was cost-effective in infants 32-34 wGA with 2009 AAP RFs ($44,774 per QALY) and in infants 32-35 wGA with 2006 AAP RFs ($79,477 per QALY). The ICER for infants 32-35 wGA with ≤ 1 RF was $464,476 per QALY. Influential variables in the sensitivity analysis included background rate of RSV-H and cost and efficacy of palivizumab., Limitations: The results are not generalizable to populations outside of the US. The model did not examine all RFs. The wholesale acquisition cost was used as a payment benchmark; actual price paid by end providers varies., Conclusions: From a national policy perspective, palivizumab remained cost-effective for publically and commercially insured, guideline-eligible, high-risk premature infants. Palivizumab was not cost-effective in infants of 32-35 wGA with ≤ 1 RF.

Objective: Medicaid infants are at high risk of severe respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) disease. The study objective was to estimate the cost-effectiveness of palivizumab in a Medicaid population., Methods: A societal cost-utility analysis was conducted of prophylaxis with palivizumab vs no prophylaxis among four groups of premature infants: (1) <32 weeks gestational age (wGA) and ≤ 6 months chronologic age (CA); (2) 32-34 wGA, ≤ 3 months CA with 2009 American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) risk factors (RF); (3) 32-35 wGA, ≤ 6 months CA with 2006 AAP RF; and (4) 32-35 wGA, ≤ 6 months CA with ≤ 1 RF. Full dosing of palivizumab was assumed throughout the RSV season (consistent with the FDA-approved label). All costs were in 2010 US dollars. The societal public payer spend for palivizumab was estimated using Medicaid reimbursement methodologies for the top 10 palivizumab-using states in 2010 minus mandatory manufacturer rebates. This study reports the incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) in cost per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) gained. Sensitivity and probabilistic analyses were also conducted., Results: Palivizumab saved costs and improved QALYs among infants <32 wGA. Palivizumab was cost-effective in infants 32-34 wGA with 2009 AAP RF ($16,037 per QALY) and in infants 32-35 wGA with 2006 AAP RF ($38,244 per QALY). The ICER for infants 32-35 wGA with ≤ 1 RF was $281,892 per QALY. Influential variables in the sensitivity analysis included the background rate of RSV hospitalization, the cost of palivizumab, and the efficacy of palivizumab., Key Limitations: These results are not generalizable to commercially insured infants or infants outside of the US., Conclusions: This is the first cost-utility analysis of palivizumab in a Medicaid population. Palivizumab, when dosed consistent with the FDA-approved labeling, was either cost-saving or cost-effective among current guideline-eligible infants in the Medicaid population. Palivizumab did not demonstrate cost-effectiveness in 32-35 wGA infants with ≤ 1 RF.

Objective: Healthcare use and costs within 1 year of a respiratory syncytial virus lower respiratory tract infection (RSV-LRI) among Medicaid early-preterm and late-preterm infants compared with full-term infants were evaluated., Methods: Infants born during 2003-2005 were identified from the Thomson Reuters MarketScan Multi-State Medicaid Database. Infants <1 year of age were grouped based on RSV-LRI and unspecified bronchiolitis/pneumonia (UBP) diagnosis codes and stratified by inpatient or outpatient setting. Infants without RSV-LRI/UBP were selected for comparison. Economic and clinical outcomes were analyzed descriptively; the relationship between RSV-LRI/UBP and costs incurred within 1 year of infection were analyzed using logged ordinary least squares models. Results were stratified by gestational age., Results: Most infants were diagnosed with RSV-LRI/UBP after 90 days of chronologic age. Early-preterm infants had the greatest mean number of inpatient, outpatient, and emergency department visits after an RSV-LRI/UBP episode. The marginal costs among infants with RSV-LRI compared with controls were $34,132 (p < 0.001) and $3869 (p = 0.115) among inpatients and outpatients, respectively. Among late-preterm infants, the marginal costs were $17,465 (p < 0.001) and $2158 (p < 0.001) among inpatients and outpatients, respectively. Full-term infants had the lowest marginal costs (inpatients, $9151 [p < 0.001]; outpatients, $1428 [p < 0.001]). Overall, inpatient infants with RSV-LRI/UBP had higher costs than outpatients, suggesting that increased downstream costs are associated with severity of RSV-LRI/UBP disease., Limitations: Infants with unknown etiology for bronchiolitis were assigned to the UBP group, which may underestimate the costs of the comparison group., Conclusions: The burden of RSV-LRI was substantial among early-preterm Medicaid infants. Costs were also higher among late-preterm relative to full-term infants.

Objective: This retrospective cohort study compared the total cost of hospitalisation due to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) lower respiratory tract infection (LRI) during the first year of life between late-preterm (33-36 weeks gestational age [wGA]) and term (≥ 37 wGA) infants., Research Design and Methods: A large national claims database of commercially insured members was examined to identify hospital admissions associated with RSV between January 2003 and June 2007 among infants at high risk for RSV LRI, including late-preterm infants. Hospital use and costs were compared with those of a reference cohort of term infants with RSV., Results: The cost of hospitalisation for RSV among late-preterm infants with at least one hospital admission associated with RSV (n=173) was twice that of term infants (n=1,983; $20,269 vs. 9,635; p< 0.001). The mean length of stay was also higher (5.3 vs. 3.4 days; p< 0.001). Approximately 21.9% of hospitalisations for late-preterm infants included an intensive care unit admission compared with 9.6% among term infants (p< 0.001)., Limitations: Reliance on ICD-9 codes to identify potential cohort members may result in misclassification and underreporting the cohort size for conditions of interest., Conclusions: Hospitalisation costs and length of stay due to RSV LRI were significantly greater among late-preterm infants compared with term infants and higher than general estimates previously reported in the broader paediatric population.