The effect of family physician program and health transformation plan on utilization and cost of health services.

Introduction: Health system reforms are essential. In Iran, some of the most significant changes include the implementation of the Family Physician Program (FPP) and the Health Transformation Plan (HTP). The aim of this study was to assess the impact of these programs on the cost and use of services.

Methods: This quasi-experiment targeted insured individuals under the Iranian Health Insurance Organization in Fars province from 2010 to 2021. ANOVA, T-tests, and interrupted time-series analysis were used to investigate the impacts of FPP and HTP on service utilization and cost changes before and after the introduction of these programs.

Results: FPP decreased specialist visits, drug utilization, and drug expenditure in the short run. But eventually, it resulted in more general practitioner (GP) consultations, laboratory services, and imaging, hospitalization, and drug spending. The HTP first resulted in more GP consultations, laboratory services, drug use, and hospitalization but less use of imaging services and more total service spending. Eventually, the HTP resulted in more GP consultations, fewer GP prescriptions, and less laboratory test and imaging service spending.

Conclusion: FPP was successful in achieving some initial goals, such as decreasing expenditure and service usage through a referral system. It was finally unsuccessful in the long run due to the dissolution of this system and lack of proper supervision. At the beginning, the HTP imposed significant costs to insurance providers; however, it ultimately led to a reduction in the cost for particular services over a prolonged interval.