PI: Thomas Radomski, MD, MS
Funding Source: Humana
February 2025 - January 2027
Low-value prescribing—medications that offer little or no clinical benefit or pose unnecessary risk—can expose patients to avoidable harm and drive excess health care spending. Among older adults enrolled in Medicare Advantage, understanding the scope and consequences of low-value prescribing is essential for improving medication safety and value.
This study applies the EVOLV-Rx tool, a validated measure of low-value prescribing, to the Humana Research Database to examine prescribing patterns among Medicare Advantage beneficiaries aged 65 and older. We will estimate the prevalence of 18 established low-value prescribing measures, describe the demographic and clinical characteristics of affected members, and assess associations with health outcomes and health care utilization. The study will also evaluate how prescribing patterns vary by provider type, including differences across payment and risk arrangements.
By generating large-scale, real-world evidence on low-value prescribing in Medicare Advantage, this research will inform strategies to improve medication use, support value-based care initiatives, and guide policy and clinical efforts to reduce unnecessary and potentially harmful prescribing among older adults.