
Despite the higher risk of hospitalization and increased treatment costs, a new analysis has found that only 34.7% of commercially insured patients with asthma and/or COPD recieve their annual flu shots.
The study, from health system data management company Cedar Gate Technologies, looked at data from the 2022-2023 flu season and found that most patients with COPD and asthma skipped their recommended flu vaccines.
The company said in a news release that it found the per-event cost for treatment of flu-related illness was almost three times higher for COPD and asthma patients, topping out at $952.01, compared to average costs of $359.52 for people without either chronic condition.
The analysis also found a correlation between higher costs and where patients seek treatment for flu-related illness. Specifically, nearly one-third of COPD patients went to the emergency room or were admitted to the hospital for influenza. By comparison, only 8% of those without COPD or asthma either went to the ER or were admitted for flu-related care.
The majority of flu-related treatments for people without either condition (more than 85%) took place at a lower-cost location, such as a doctor’s office, urgent care center or telehealth.
In addition to the data, Cedar Gate also used predictive AI models to determine whether someone is likely to get a vaccine. The model revealed that nearly two-thirds (65.5%) of all members in the database are unlikely to get a flu shot this year.