Mapping US commercial payers' coverage policies for medical interventions

To examine coverage policies for medical interventions issued by the largest US commercial payers.

Review of publicly accessible coverage policies for medical interventions.

We categorized the 20 largest commercial payers' medical benefit coverage policies for medical technologies-current as of August 1, 2014-with respect to technology type (eg, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, surgeries). We identified the interventions most commonly subject to coverage policies and compared payer coverage determinations in terms of whether they covered the intervention and the evidence they reported reviewing.

Eighteen payers made their coverage policies publicly available and 17 reported the evidence they reviewed in formulating policies. The types of technologies considered varied across payers, although most focused on devices and diagnostics. Of the 28 interventions most commonly subject to coverage policies, the coverage of 9 varied (ie, some payers covered the intervention and others did not). On average, payers reported reviewing clinical studies in 87% of coverage policies (range = 25%-100%). Two payers did not report reviewing systematic reviews or meta-analyses in any coverage policies, and 9 reported reviewing such evidence in at least half of their policies. Fourteen payers reported reviewing cost-effectiveness analyses at least some of the time, with frequency ranging from 8% to 43%. Commercial payers' coverage decisions did not appear to reflect direct input from patients or patient advocates, at least as stated in published coverage policies.

Coverage of medical interventions varies across US private payers. Payers often report reviewing different evidence when formulating coverage policies, but do not report considering input directly from patients in evidence assessments.