Impact of State Telehealth Parity Laws for Private Payers on Hypertension Medication Adherence Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Telehealth has emerged as an effective tool for managing common chronic conditions such as hypertension, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the impact of state telehealth payment and coverage parity laws on hypertension medication adherence remains uncertain. METHODS: Data from the 2016 to 2021 Merative MarketScan Commercial Claims and Encounters Database were used to construct the study cohort, which included nonpregnant individuals aged 25 to 64 years with hypertension. We coded telehealth parity laws related to hypertension management in all 50 US states and the District of Columbia, distinguishing between payment and coverage parity laws. The primary outcomes were measures of antihypertension medication adherence: the average medication possession ratio; medication adherence (medication possession ratio ≥80%); and average number of days of drug supply. We used a generalized difference-in-differences design to examine the impact of these laws. RESULTS: Among 353 220 individuals (mean [SD] age, 49.5 (7.1) years; female, 45.55%), states with payment parity laws were significantly linked to increased average medication possession ratio by 0.43 percentage point (95% CI, 0.07–0.79), and an increase of 0.46 percentage point (95% CI, 0.06–0.92) in the probability of medication adherence. Payment parity laws also led to an average increase of 2.14 days (95% CI, 0.11–4.17) in prescription supply, after controlling for state-fixed effects, year-fixed effects, individual sociodemographic characteristics and state time-varying covariates including unemployment rates, gross domestic product per capita, and poverty rates. In contrast, coverage parity laws were associated with a 2.13-day increase (95% CI, 0.19–4.07) in days of prescription supply but did not significantly increase the average medication possession ratio or probability of medication adherence. CONCLUSIONS: State telehealth payment parity laws were significantly associated with greater medication adherence, whereas coverage parity laws were not. With the increasing adoption of telehealth parity laws across states, these findings may support policymakers in understanding potential implications on management of hypertension.