Care management improves total cost of care for patients with dementia.

Objectives: To examine a 12-month dementia care management program's effect on health care cost, utilization, and overall return on investment in a Medicare managed care population.

Study design: Pre-post analysis of participants (n = 121) enrolled in Ochsner's Care Ecosystem program from 2019 through 2021 compared with propensity-matched controls (n = 121). The primary outcome comparison was total cost of care. Secondary outcomes included components of total cost of care (eg, inpatient, outpatient, emergency department [ED] costs), health care utilization (eg, number of ED visits), and differences in Hierarchical Condition Category (HCC) risk scores.

Methods: Difference-in-differences analyses were conducted from baseline through 12 months comparing various financial metrics and utilization between groups.

Results: Care Ecosystem participants had significantly lower total cost of care at 12 months, mean savings of $475.80 per member per month compared with controls. Care Ecosystem participants had fewer ED, outpatient, and professional visits. HCC risk scores were also better relative to matched controls.

Conclusions: A collaborative dementia care program demonstrated significant financial benefit in a managed Medicare population.