Low cost cialis

As I write this editorial, it is almost 14 months low cost cialis since I first developed erectile dysfunction treatment symptoms and my journey with long erectile dysfunction treatment continues. In their guideline on long erectile dysfunction treatment NICE/SIGN define post-erectile dysfunction treatment syndrome as signs and symptoms that develop during or after a erectile dysfunction treatment , continuing for more than low cost cialis 12 weeks, and not explained by an alternative diagnosis. More information about long erectile dysfunction treatment can be found in the blog written by @jakesuett and me in September 2020.

Data from the Office for National Statistics in April 2021 estimated low cost cialis that 1.1 million people in the UK reported experiencing some form of long erectile dysfunction treatment symptoms. Despite this, the UK Government continues to focus on the outcomes of erectile dysfunction treatment being binary. Dying or low cost cialis surviving.

Box 1 provides details about some useful sources of information on long erectile dysfunction treatment.Box 1 Useful sources of information about long erectile dysfunction treatmentNICE/SIGN rapid guideline published in December 2020.The NIHR review of evidence. Living with erectile dysfunction treatment—second Review (March 2021).Paper in nature in April 2021 provides a summary of how post acute erectile dysfunction treatment (long erectile dysfunction treatment) can affect different organ systems.Paper published in March 2021 describing the range of low cost cialis signs and symptoms experienced by people with long erectile dysfunction treatment via a social media survey.Everyone’s long erectile dysfunction treatment journey is different. Recovery is not linear with many relapses along the way.

Fourteen months low cost cialis on, I am better than I was but still not fit enough to return to work and need to be careful not to do too much. My ongoing symptoms include:Breathlessness—e.g. After having a shower or walking short distances.Brain fog—unable to read for more than 15–20 min or concentrate on anything for more than 30 min.Headache.Fatigue.Poor temperature control and hot flushes.Deterioration in my eyesight—potentially due to steroids.Tingling in faceSwollen low cost cialis glands.Nausea.I am one of the lucky ones—I was reviewed at a (virtual) long erectile dysfunction treatment clinic in February 2021.

As suggested by the NICE/SIGN guidelines, I had some tests ordered to rule out any organic causes for my symptoms. The blood tests showed that I had developed type 2 low cost cialis diabetes. A brain MRI indicated I have had a stroke at some point.Nowadays, there is an expectation that most illnesses can be cured.

This makes it more difficult when low cost cialis there are no answers. As a patient group we struggled, and in many cases, are still struggling, low cost cialis to get access to the tests we needed which exacerbated this situation. This is perhaps not surprising in the middle of a cialis.

I always felt slightly uncomfortable fighting for access to tests when I knew the NHS low cost cialis was at crisis point but as a registered nurse had some knowledge as to where to turn for help. This was particularly helpful when I was rung with the results of my tests following my long erectile dysfunction treatment clinic appointment. Having been told I had developed type 2 low cost cialis diabetes, the advice was to ‘go on a low sugar diet’ and have my bloods tested again in a few months.

However, I was able to reach out to friends for advice as well as referring myself to the diabetes nurse at my GP practice. I am now on a low carb diet and have been prescribed metformin that would not have happened if I had just followed the initial low cost cialis advice. Getting advice about my stroke has not been so easy.

Over 6 weeks down the line, I am still awaiting my referral to the stroke clinic.On an intellectual low cost cialis level, as someone who has spent much of their nursing career promoting evidence-based practice, it has been interesting having a new disease and observing as information about potential treatments emerge. People within the long erectile dysfunction treatment community were willing to try almost anything in an attempt to get better. A scene from the recent TV series It’s a sin struck low cost cialis a chord—someone who thought they had AIDS/HIV in the mid 1980s ringing a hotline and asking whether a list of potential cures, including drinking bleach, would cure him.As a registered nurse and editor of Evidence Based Nursing, I found it challenging when other people with long erectile dysfunction treatment appeared to me to be ‘grasping at straws’ and trying any treatment that was available despite a lack of evidence to support it.

I understand this is a reaction to the lack of available treatments as well as many people being told by the medical profession their symptoms were ‘all in their head’. But, on occasion, it made it difficult being part of these low cost cialis groups. Going forward, we need robust research to identify treatments for long erectile dysfunction treatment.

An international low cost cialis multistakeholder forum has recently produced a list of research priorities for long erectile dysfunction treatment. Governments are beginning to allocate money for research into long erectile dysfunction treatment—for example, in the USA, the NIH has put US$1.15 billion aside. These are definitely steps in the right direction but more needs to be done worldwide to care for those of us with Long erectile dysfunction treatment.Ethics statementsPatient consent for publicationNot required.Using interpretative phenomenological analysis to explore multiperspectivesInterpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) was originally developed in 1995 by Johnathan Smith as a method to undertake experiential research in psychology and has gained prominence across health and social sciences as a way low cost cialis to understand and interpret topics that are complex and emotionally laden, such as chronic illness experiences.1 2 IPA aims to uncover what a lived experience means to the individual through a process of in-depth reflective inquiry.3 The IPA draws on phenomenological thinking, with the purpose to return ‘to the things themselves’3 (p168).

However, IPA also acknowledges that we are each influenced by the worlds in which we live and the experiences we low cost cialis encounter. Therefore, IPA is an interpretative process between the researcher and researched, influenced predominantly by Heidegger’s interpretive phenomenology, hermeneutics and idiography. Within IPA, it is typical for researchers to select a small homogenous sample low cost cialis to explore the shared perspectives on a single phenomenon of interest4.

Within IPA studies, the focus has been on individual people living within diverse settings and populations such as chronic or long-term illnesses. The focus is on understandings of rich, low cost cialis lived experiences, and, given the small samples, IPA studies have typically not focused on those connected to the person living with diversity or disease. Recently, there has been an interest within IPA to suggest the value of capturing more complex data through multiple perspectives using designs and processes to address this shortcoming in IPA.4 This may involve the use of multiple participants and a range of data collection methods such as the use of dyads or focus groups.

The aim of this paper is to explore the utility of low cost cialis IPA approaches using multiperspectives through focusing on a specific case study to illustrate this approach.Case studyThis case study focuses on an IPA study that focused on the lived experiences of adolescents and young adults (AYA) and their family/significant other living with malignant melanoma (MM). Families and other people important to the experience can provide a logical and insightful perspectives on a shared psychosocial phenomenon. Multiperspective designs are gaining increasing prominence among researchers who recognise that an experience low cost cialis such as living with a long-term disease ‘is not solely located within the accounts of those with the diagnosis’4 (p182).

For the purposes of this case study, the family/significant others were seen as integral to the experience for the AYA living with MM and their journey together in supporting one another through this experience.During the 1970s, melanoma in AYA was rare, but over the intervening decades, there has been a marked increase in the reported incidence of MM in AYA around the globe.5–7 There is a significant amount of biomedical empirical research evidence on melanoma but a dearth of qualitative research around the lived experience for AYA and their family/significant other living with this disease.A purposive sample of young participants, 16–26 years, were identified by the Clinical Nurse Specialists that ensured the participants were experiencing the same phenomenon.8–10 Although the intention was to carry out individual interviews with all the participants following the typical IPA approach, most of the AYA lived at home and the young participants expressed the desire for a shared interview, which was accommodated by the first author. The four individuals (n=4) and three-dyad interviews (n=6) allowed for the shared experience and the phenomena to be captured and understood through data analysis and interpretation.4 Although the use of individual and joint interviews had implications for data collection and analysis—such as the parent wishing to have their voice heard over their child—the researcher had to ensure that questions were also low cost cialis directed to the young participant in order to capture both voices. In depth, semistructured interviews were undertaken within the AYAs primary treatment centre on the day of the outpatient appointment and they were often accompanied with someone who was significant in their journey.

Interviews lasted between 90 and 120 min.This low cost cialis study was novel to the experiences of AYA and family/significant other living with MM, which offers a new perspective on the dynamics that are present within the MM experience. Our findings can be valuable for both an AYA, family/significant other and health and social care professionals. Both AYA and the family/significant other seemed to consider the emotional implications of talking low cost cialis about the disease.

Throughout this process, participants seemed to strive for a shared understanding of the MM experience, a story that unified rather than divided them.Strengths and challengesA social phenomenological perspective demands an emphasis on understanding the participant’s experience of the world from their situation and then interpreting how that understanding is intersubjectively constructed.4 11 In-depth semistructured interviews, therefore, offered low cost cialis an appropriate and compelling method to generate data that permitted such insights and reflections, allowing participants to reconstruct their understandings of a phenomenon3 through narrative. Qualitative researchers are increasingly using ‘oint interviews’ (dyad) to explore the lived experiences in health and capture the multiperspective. However, the decision of whether to interview participants separately or together as a dyad is an important consideration because it influences the nature of the data collected and having two low cost cialis different types of data.

Each transcript was analysed separately both for the AYA and then the family/significant other, whether as an individual or dyad. This was important as the researcher (first author) was not sure whether the findings for the AYA would low cost cialis be different from that of the family/significant other. There also needs to be time built into the study for the data analysis and IPA founders suggest following the IPA methodology, researchers should follow the key steps.3 Analysing the data individually allowed the narrative to ‘open up’ and reveal the experiences of the participant’s as various ‘individual parts’ and then as a ‘whole’.2 3 Throughout the data analysis, the six key steps supported the rigour, transparency and coherence of the findings.Findings of the case studyThis study was organised hierarchically into themes and following the iterative process of analysis, the 'Life interrupted' meta-narrative was identified from all the participant’s lives.

€˜Life interrupted’ speaks to the various ways that participants’ lives were interrupted due to the cancer diagnosis, and the journey this disease took them on low cost cialis as well as the unsettling emotions that were experienced during this journey. This is woven into the whole journey experience and figure 1 illustrates the core conceptual thread and the interconnection between AYA and the family/significant other. The interconnection between low cost cialis the four super-ordinate and the 12 subthemes is also shown.

The ebb and flow of familial relationships can, in some situations, magnify the impact of the physical disease, with the emotional turmoil often rivalling the physical manifestation of the disease.8 11 Conversely, relationships may help the AYA and the family/significant other cope with the disease in a more positive and supportive way. The importance of these unique and changing relationships in living low cost cialis with MM should not be underestimated, and psychosocial research about YPs experiences of cancer would be enhanced through the further use and development of the multiperspective approach underpinned by IPA as used in this study, which is able to capture these dynamic inter-relationships. A visual representation is provided within figure 1 and how the individual voices were captured through the individual and dyad interview.Visual multi-perspective IPA design.

IPA, interpretative phenomenological analysis." data-icon-position data-hide-link-title="0">Figure low cost cialis 1 Visual multi-perspective IPA design. IPA, interpretative phenomenological analysis.ConclusionsThis paper presents experiences of life events and processes that are intersubjective and relational. Meaning is ‘in between’ us but is rarely studied low cost cialis that way in phenomenological inquiry.4 The meanings of events and processes are often contested and can sometimes be understood in a more complex manner when viewed from the multiple perspectives involved in the system that constitutes them.

Multiple perspective designs can be a useful way for IPA researchers to address research questions that engage with these phenomena.Ethics statementsPatient consent for publicationNot required..

Cialis ramipril interaction

Credit Zithromax cost cvs cialis ramipril interaction. The New England Journal of Medicine Share Fast Facts This study clears up how big an effect the mutational burden has on outcomes to immune checkpoint inhibitors across many different cancer types. - Click to cialis ramipril interaction Tweet The number of mutations in a tumor’s DNA is a good predictor of whether it will respond to a class of cancer immunotherapy drugs known as checkpoint inhibitors. - Click to Tweet The “mutational burden,” or the number of mutations present in a tumor’s DNA, is a good predictor of whether that cancer type will respond to a class of cancer immunotherapy drugs known as checkpoint inhibitors, a new study led by Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center researchers shows. The finding, published in the Dec.

21 New cialis ramipril interaction England Journal of Medicine, could be used to guide future clinical trials for these drugs. Checkpoint inhibitors are a relatively new class of drug that helps the immune system recognize cancer by interfering with mechanisms cancer cells use to hide from immune cells. As a result, the drugs cause the immune cialis ramipril interaction system to fight cancer in the same way that it would fight an . These medicines have had remarkable success in treating some types of cancers that historically have had poor prognoses, such as advanced melanoma and lung cancer. However, these therapies have had little effect on other deadly cancer types, such as pancreatic cancer and glioblastoma.

The mutational burden of certain tumor types has previously been proposed as an cialis ramipril interaction explanation for why certain cancers respond better than others to immune checkpoint inhibitors says study leader Mark Yarchoan, M.D., chief medical oncology fellow. Work by Dung Le, M.D., associate professor of oncology, and other researchers at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center and its Bloomberg~Kimmel Cancer Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy showed that colon cancers that carry a high number of mutations are more likely to respond to checkpoint inhibitors than those that have fewer mutations. However, exactly how big an effect the mutational burden has cialis ramipril interaction on outcomes to immune checkpoint inhibitors across many different cancer types was unclear. To investigate this question, Yarchoan and colleagues Alexander Hopkins, Ph.D., research fellow, and Elizabeth Jaffee, M.D., co-director of the Skip Viragh Center for Pancreas Cancer Clinical Research and Patient Care and associate director of the Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute, combed the medical literature for the results of clinical trials using checkpoint inhibitors on various different types of cancer. They combined these findings with data on the mutational burden of thousands of tumor samples from patients with different tumor types.

Analyzing 27 cialis ramipril interaction different cancer types for which both pieces of information were available, the researchers found a strong correlation. The higher a cancer type’s mutational burden tends to be, the more likely it is to respond to checkpoint inhibitors. More than half of the differences in how well cancers responded to immune checkpoint inhibitors could be explained by the mutational burden of that cancer. €œThe idea that a tumor type with more mutations might be easier to treat than cialis ramipril interaction one with fewer sounds a little counterintuitive. It’s one of those things that doesn’t sound right when you hear it,” says Hopkins.

€œBut with immunotherapy, the more mutations you have, the more chances the immune system has to recognize the tumor.” Although this finding held true for the vast majority of cancer types they studied, there were some cialis ramipril interaction outliers in their analysis, says Yarchoan. For example, Merkel cell cancer, a rare and highly aggressive skin cancer, tends to have a moderate number of mutations yet responds extremely well to checkpoint inhibitors. However, he explains, this cancer type is often caused by a cialis, which seems to encourage a strong immune response despite the cancer’s lower mutational burden. In contrast, the most common type of colorectal cancer has moderate mutational burden, yet responds poorly to checkpoint inhibitors cialis ramipril interaction for reasons that are still unclear. Yarchoan notes that these findings could help guide clinical trials to test checkpoint inhibitors on cancer types for which these drugs haven’t yet been tried.

Future studies might also focus cialis ramipril interaction on finding ways to prompt cancers with low mutational burdens to behave like those with higher mutational burdens so that they will respond better to these therapies. He and his colleagues plan to extend this line of research by investigating whether mutational burden might be a good predictor of whether cancers in individual patients might respond well to this class of immunotherapy drugs. €œThe end goal is precision medicine—moving beyond what’s true for big groups of patients to see whether we can use this information to help any given patient,” he says. Yarchoan receives funding from the Norman cialis ramipril interaction &. Ruth Rales Foundation and the Conquer Cancer Foundation.

Through a licensing agreement with Aduro Biotech, Jaffee has the potential to receive royalties in the future..

Credit Source low cost cialis. The New England Journal of Medicine Share Fast Facts This study clears up how big an effect the mutational burden has on outcomes to immune checkpoint inhibitors across many different cancer types. - Click low cost cialis to Tweet The number of mutations in a tumor’s DNA is a good predictor of whether it will respond to a class of cancer immunotherapy drugs known as checkpoint inhibitors. - Click to Tweet The “mutational burden,” or the number of mutations present in a tumor’s DNA, is a good predictor of whether that cancer type will respond to a class of cancer immunotherapy drugs known as checkpoint inhibitors, a new study led by Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center researchers shows. The finding, published in the Dec.

21 New England Journal of Medicine, could be used to guide future clinical trials for low cost cialis these drugs. Checkpoint inhibitors are a relatively new class of drug that helps the immune system recognize cancer by interfering with mechanisms cancer cells use to hide from immune cells. As a result, the drugs cause the immune system to fight cancer in low cost cialis the same way that it would fight an . These medicines have had remarkable success in treating some types of cancers that historically have had poor prognoses, such as advanced melanoma and lung cancer. However, these therapies have had little effect on other deadly cancer types, such as pancreatic cancer and glioblastoma.

The mutational burden of certain tumor types has previously been proposed as an explanation for why certain cancers respond better than others to immune low cost cialis checkpoint inhibitors says study leader Mark Yarchoan, M.D., chief medical oncology fellow. Work by Dung Le, M.D., associate professor of oncology, and other researchers at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center and its Bloomberg~Kimmel Cancer Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy showed that colon cancers that carry a high number of mutations are more likely to respond to checkpoint inhibitors than those that have fewer mutations. However, exactly how big an effect the mutational burden has on low cost cialis outcomes to immune checkpoint inhibitors across many different cancer types was unclear. To investigate this question, Yarchoan and colleagues Alexander Hopkins, Ph.D., research fellow, and Elizabeth Jaffee, M.D., co-director of the Skip Viragh Center for Pancreas Cancer Clinical Research and Patient Care and associate director of the Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute, combed the medical literature for the results of clinical trials using checkpoint inhibitors on various different types of cancer. They combined these findings with data on the mutational burden of thousands of tumor samples from patients with different tumor types.

Analyzing 27 different cancer types for which both pieces of information were low cost cialis available, the researchers found a strong correlation. The higher a cancer type’s mutational burden tends to be, the more likely it is to respond to checkpoint inhibitors. More than half of the differences in how well cancers responded to immune checkpoint inhibitors could be explained by the mutational burden of that cancer. €œThe idea that a tumor type with low cost cialis more mutations might be easier to treat than one with fewer sounds a little counterintuitive. It’s one of those things that doesn’t sound right when you hear it,” says Hopkins.

€œBut with immunotherapy, the more mutations you have, the more chances the immune system has to recognize the tumor.” Although this finding held true for the vast majority of cancer types they studied, there were some outliers in low cost cialis their analysis, says Yarchoan. For example, Merkel cell cancer, a rare and highly aggressive skin cancer, tends to have a moderate number of mutations yet responds extremely well to checkpoint inhibitors. However, he explains, this cancer type is often caused by a cialis, which seems to encourage a strong immune response despite the cancer’s lower mutational burden. In contrast, the most common type of colorectal cancer has moderate mutational burden, yet responds low cost cialis poorly to checkpoint inhibitors for reasons that are still unclear. Yarchoan notes that these findings could help guide clinical trials to test checkpoint inhibitors on cancer types for which these drugs haven’t yet been tried.

Future studies might also focus on finding ways to prompt cancers with low mutational burdens to behave like low cost cialis those with higher mutational burdens so that they will respond better to these therapies. He and his colleagues plan to extend this line of research by investigating whether mutational burden might be a good predictor of whether cancers in individual patients might respond well to this class of immunotherapy drugs. €œThe end goal is precision medicine—moving beyond what’s true for big groups of patients to see whether we can use this information to help any given patient,” he says. Yarchoan receives low cost cialis funding from the Norman &. Ruth Rales Foundation and the Conquer Cancer Foundation.

Through a licensing agreement with Aduro Biotech, Jaffee has the potential to receive royalties in the future..

What may interact with Cialis?

Do not take Cialis with any of the following medications:

• nitrates like amyl nitrite, isosorbide dinitrate, isosorbide mononitrate, nitroglycerin

Cialis may also interact with the following medications:

• certain drugs for high blood pressure
• certain drugs for the treatment of HIV or AIDS
• certain drugs used for fungal or yeast s, like fluconazole, itraconazole, ketoconazole, and voriconazole
• certain drugs used for seizures like carbamazepine, phenytoin, and phenobarbital
• grapefruit juice
• macrolide antibiotics like clarithromycin, erythromycin, troleandomycin
• medicines for prostate problems
• rifabutin, rifampin or rifapentine

This list may not describe all possible interactions. Give your health care provider a list of all the medicines, herbs, non-prescription drugs, or dietary supplements you use. Also tell them if you smoke, drink alcohol, or use illegal drugs. Some items may interact with your medicine.

Cialis generic release date

Maximizing health cialis generic release date coverage for DAP clients. Before and after winning the case Outline prepared by Geoffrey Hale and Cathy Roberts - updated August 2012 This outline is intended to assist Disability Advocacy Program (DAP) advocates maximize health insurance coverage for clients they are representing on Social Security/SSI disability determinations. We begin with a discussion of coverage options available while your client’s DAP case is pending and then outline the effect winning the DAP case can have cialis generic release date on your client’s access to health care coverage. How your client is affected will vary depending on the source and amount of disability income he or she receives after the successful appeal.

I. BACKGROUND cialis generic release date. Public health coverage for your clients will primarily be provided by Medicaid and Medicare. The two cialis generic release date programs are structured differently and have different eligibility criteria, but in order to provide the most complete coverage possible for your clients, they must work effectively together.

Understanding their interactions is essential to ensuring benefits for your client. Here is a brief overview of the programs we will cover. A. Medicaid.

Medicaid is the public insurance program jointly funded by the federal, state and local governments for people of limited means. For federal Medicaid law, see 42 U.S.C. § 1396 et seq., 42 C.F.R. § 430 et seq.

Regular Medicaid is described in New York’s State Plan and codified at N.Y. Soc. Serv. L.

§§ 122, 131, 363- 369-1. 18 N.Y.C.R.R. § 360, 505. New York also offers several additional programs to provide health care benefits to those whose income might be too high for Regular Medicaid.

i. Family Health Plus (FHPlus) is an extension of New York’s Medicaid program that provides health coverage for adults who are over-income for regular Medicaid. FHPlus is described in New York’s 1115 waiver and codified at N.Y. Soc.

Child Health Plus (CHPlus) is a sliding scale premium program for children who are over-income for regular Medicaid. CHPlus is codified at N.Y. Pub. Health L.

§2510 et seq. b. Medicare. Medicare is the federal health insurance program providing coverage for the elderly, disabled, and people with end-stage renal disease.

Medicare is codified under title XVIII of the Social Security Law, see 42 U.S.C. § 1395 et seq., 42 C.F.R. § 400 et seq. Medicare is divided into four parts.

i. Part A covers hospital, skilled nursing facility, home health, and hospice care, with some deductibles and coinsurance. Most people are eligible for Part A at no cost. See 42 U.S.C.

Part B provides medical insurance for doctor’s visits and other outpatient medical services. Medicare Part B has significant cost-sharing components. There are monthly premiums (the standard premium in 2012 is $99.90. In addition, there is a $135 annual deductible (which will increase to $155 in 2010) as well as 20% co-insurance for most covered out-patient services.

See 42 U.S.C. § 1395k, 42 C.F.R. Pt. 407.

iii. Part C, also called Medicare Advantage, provides traditional Medicare coverage (Parts A and B) through private managed care insurers. See 42 U.S.C. § 1395w, 42 C.F.R.

Pt. 422. Premium amounts for Medicare Advantage plans vary. Some Medicare Advantage plans include prescription drug coverage.

iv. Part D is an optional prescription drug benefit available to anyone with Medicare Parts A and B. See 42 U.S.C. § 1395w, 42 C.F.R.

§ 423.30(a)(1)(i) and (ii). Unlike Parts A and B, Part D benefits are provided directly through private plans offered by insurance companies. In order to receive prescription drug coverage, a Medicare beneficiary must join a Part D Plan or participate in a Medicare Advantage plan that provides prescription drug coverage. C.

Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs). Funded by the State Medicaid program, MSPs help eligible individuals meet some or all of their cost-sharing obligations under Medicare. See N.Y. Soc.

Serv. L. § 367-a(3)(a), (b), and (d). There are three separate MSPs, each with different eligibility requirements and providing different benefits.

i. Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB). The QMB program provides the most comprehensive benefits. Available to those with incomes at or below 100% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), the QMB program covers virtually all Medicare cost-sharing obligations.

Part B premiums, Part A premiums, if there are any, and any and all deductibles and co-insurance. ii. Special Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary (SLMB). For those with incomes between 100% and 120% FPL, the SLMB program will cover Part B premiums only.

iii. Qualified Individual (QI-1). For those with incomes between 120% and 135% FPL, but not otherwise Medicaid eligible, the QI-1 program covers Medicare Part B premiums. D.

Medicare Part D Low Income Subsidy (LIS or “Extra Help”). LIS is a federal subsidy administered by CMS that helps Medicare beneficiaries with limited income and/or resources pay for some or most of the costs of Medicare prescription drug coverage. See 42 C.F.R. § 423.773.

Some of the costs covered in full or in part by LIS include the monthly premiums, annual deductible, co-payments, and the coverage gap. Individuals eligible for Medicaid, SSI, or MSP are deemed eligible for full LIS benefitsSee 42 C.F.R. § 423.773(c). LIS applications are treated as (“deemed”) applications for MSP benefits, See the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act (MIPPA) of 2008, Pub.

Law 110-275. II. WHILE THE DAP APPEAL IS PENDING Does your client have health insurance?. If not, why isn’t s/he getting Medicaid, Family Health Plus or Child Health Plus?.

There have been many recent changes which expand eligibility and streamline the application process. All/most of your DAP clients should qualify. Significant changes to Medicaid include. Elimination of the resource test for certain categories of Medicaid applicants/recipients and all applicants to the Family Health Plus program.

§369-ee (2), as amended by L. 2009, c. 58, pt. C, § 59-d.

As of October 1, 2009, a resource test is no longer required for these categories. Elimination of the fingerprinting requirement. N.Y. Soc.

Serv. L. §369-ee, as amended by L. 2009, c.

58, pt. C, § 62. Elimination of the waiting period for CHPlus. N.Y.

Pub. Health L. §2511, as amended by L. 2008, c.

58. Elimination of the face-to-face interview requirement for Medicaid, effective April 1, 2010. N.Y. Soc.

Serv. L. §366-a (1), as amended by L. 2009, c.

58, pt. C, § 60. Higher income levels for Single Adults and Childless Couples. N.Y.

Soc. Serv. L. §366(1)(a)(1),(8) as amended by L.

Higher income levels for Medicaid’s Medically Needy program. N.Y. Soc. Serv.

L. §366(2)(a)(7) as amended by L. 2008, c. 58.

See also. GIS 08 MA/022 More detailed information on recent changes to Medicaid is available at. III. AFTER CLIENT IS AWARDED DAP BENEFITS a.

Medicaid eligibility. Clients receiving even $1.00 of SSI should qualify for Medicaid automatically. The process for qualifying will differ, however, depending on the source of payment. 1.

Clients Receiving SSI Only. i. These clients are eligible for full Medicaid without a spend-down. See N.Y.

ii. Medicaid coverage is automatic. No separate application/ recertification required. iii.

Most SSI-only recipients are required to participate in Medicaid managed care. See N.Y. Soc. Serv.

L. §364-j. 2. Concurrent (SSI/SSD) cases.

Eligible for full Medicaid since receiving SSI. See N.Y. Soc. Serv.

I. They can still qualify for Medicaid but may have a spend-down. Federal Law allows states to use a “spend-down” to extend Medicaid to “medically needy” persons in the federal mandatory categories (children, caretakers, elderly and disabled people) whose income or resources are above the eligibility level for regular Medicaid. See 42 U.S.C.

§ 1396 (a) (10) (ii) (XIII). ii. Under spend-down, applicants in New York’s Medically Needy program can qualify for Medicaid once their income/resources, minus incurred medical expenses, fall below the specified level. For an explanation of spend-down, see 96 ADM 15.

B. Family Health Plus Until your client qualifies for Medicare, those over-income for Medicaid may qualify for Family Health Plus without needing to satisfy a spend-down. It covers adults without children with income up to 100% of the FPL and adults with children up to 150% of the FPL.[1] The eligibility tests are the same as for regular Medicaid with two additional requirements. Applicants must be between the ages of 19 and 64 and they generally must be uninsured.

§ 369-ee et. Seq. Once your client begins to receive Medicare, he or she will not be eligible for FHP, because FHP is generally only available to those without insurance. For more information on FHP see our article on Family Health Plus.

IV. LOOMING ISSUES - MEDICARE ELIGIBILITY (WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT) a. SSI-only cases Clients receiving only SSI aren’t eligible for Medicare until they turn 65, unless they also have End Stage Renal Disease. B.

Concurrent (SSD and SSI) cases 1. Medicare eligibility kicks in beginning with 25th month of SSD receipt. See 42 U.S.C. § 426(f).

Exception. In 2000, Congress eliminated the 24-month waiting period for people diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease.) See 42 U.S.C. § 426 (h) 2. Enrollment in Medicare is a condition of eligibility for Medicaid coverage.

These clients cannot decline Medicare coverage. (05 OMM/ADM 5. Medicaid Reference Guide p. 344.1) 3.

Medicare coverage is not free. Although most individuals receive Part A without any premium, Part B has monthly premiums and significant cost-sharing components. 4. Medicaid and/or the Medicare Savings Program (MSP) should pick up most of Medicare’s cost sharing.

Most SSI beneficiaries are eligible not only for full Medicaid, but also for the most comprehensive MSP, the Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) program. I. Parts A &. B (hospital and outpatient/doctors visits).

A. Medicaid will pick up premiums, deductibles, co-pays. N.Y. Soc.

Serv. L. § 367-a (3) (a). For those not enrolled in an MSP, SSA normally deducts the Part B premium directly from the monthly check.

However, SSI recipients are supposed to be enrolled automatically in QMB, and Medicaid is responsible for covering the premiums. Part B premiums should never be deducted from these clients’ checks.[1] Medicaid and QMB-only recipients should NEVER be billed directly for Part A or B services. Even non-Medicaid providers are supposed to be able to bill Medicaid directly for services.[2] Clients are only responsible for Medicaid co-pay amount. See 42 U.S.C.

§ 1396a (n) ii. Part D (prescription drugs). a. Clients enrolled in Medicaid and/or MSP are deemed eligible for Low Income Subsidy (LIS aka Extra Help).

See 42 C.F.R. § 423.773(c). SSA POMS SI § 01715.005A.5. New York State If client doesn’t enroll in Part D plan on his/her own, s/he will be automatically assigned to a benchmark[3] plan.

See 42 C.F.R. § 423.34 (d). LIS will pick up most of cost-sharing.[3] Because your clients are eligible for full LIS, they should have NO deductible and NO premium if they are in a benchmark plan, and will not be subject to the coverage gap (aka “donut hole”). See 42 C.F.R.

§§ 423.780 and 423.782. The full LIS beneficiary will also have co-pays limited to either $1.10 or $3.30 (2010 amounts). See 42 C.F.R. § 423.104 (d) (5) (A).

Other important points to remember. - Medicaid co-pay rules do not apply to Part D drugs. - Your client’s plan may not cover all his/her drugs. - You can help your clients find the plan that best suits their needs.

To figure out what the best Part D plans are best for your particular client, go to www.medicare.gov. Click on “formulary finder” and plug in your client’s medication list. You can enroll in a Part D plan through www.medicare.gov, or by contacting the plan directly. €“ Your clients can switch plans at any time during the year.

Iii. Part C (“Medicare Advantage”). a. Medicare Advantage plans provide traditional Medicare coverage (Parts A and B) through private managed care insurers.

See 42 U.S.C. § 1395w, 42 C.F.R. Pt. 422.

Medicare Advantage participation is voluntary. For those clients enrolled in Medicare Advantage Plans, the QMB cost sharing obligations are the same as they are under traditional Medicare. Medicaid must cover any premiums required by the plan, up to the Part B premium amount. Medicaid must also cover any co-payments and co-insurance under the plan.

As with traditional Medicare, both providers and plans are prohibited from billing the beneficiary directly for these co-payments. C. SSD only individuals. 1.

Same Medicare eligibility criteria (24 month waiting period, except for persons w/ ALS). I. During the 24 month waiting period, explore eligibility for Medicaid or Family Health Plus. 2.

Once Medicare eligibility begins. ii. Parts A &. B.

SSA will automatically enroll your client. Part B premiums will be deducted from monthly Social Security benefits. (Part A will be free – no monthly premium) Clients have the right to decline ongoing Part B coverage, BUT this is almost never a good idea, and can cause all sorts of headaches if client ever wants to enroll in Part B in the future. (late enrollment penalty and can’t enroll outside of annual enrollment period, unless person is eligible for Medicare Savings Program – see more below) Clients can decline “retro” Part B coverage with no penalty on the Medicare side – just make sure they don’t actually need the coverage.

Risky to decline if they had other coverage during the retro period – their other coverage may require that Medicare be utilized if available. Part A and Part B also have deductibles and co-pays. Medicaid and/or the MSPs can help cover this cost sharing. iii.

Part D. Client must affirmatively enroll in Part D, unless they receive LIS. See 42 U.S.C. § 1395w-101 (b) (2), 42 C.F.R.

§ 423.38 (a). Enrollment is done through individual private plans. LIS recipients will be auto-assigned to a Part D benchmark plan if they have not selected a plan on their own. Client can decline Part D coverage with no penalty if s/he has “comparable coverage.” 42 C.F.R.

§ 423.34 (d) (3) (i). If no comparable coverage, person faces possible late enrollment penalty &. Limited enrollment periods. 42 C.F.R.

§ 423.46. However, clients receiving LIS do not incur any late enrollment penalty. 42 C.F.R. § 423.780 (e).

Part D has a substantial cost-sharing component – deductibles, premiums and co-pays which vary from plan to plan. There is also the coverage gap, also known as “donut hole,” which can leave beneficiaries picking up 100% of the cost of their drugs until/unless a catastrophic spending limit is reached. The LIS program can help with Part D cost-sharing. Use Medicare’s website to figure out what plan is best for your client.

(Go to www.medicare.gov , click on “formulary finder” and plug in your client’s medication list. ) You can also enroll in a Part D plan directly through www.medicare.gov. Iii. Help with Medicare cost-sharing a.

Medicaid – After eligibility for Medicare starts, client may still be eligible for Medicaid, with or without a spend-down. There are lots of ways to help clients meet their spend-down – including - Medicare cost sharing amounts (deductibles, premiums, co-pays) - over the counter medications if prescribed by a doctor. - expenses paid by state-funded programs like EPIC and ADAP. - medical bills of person’s spouse or child.

- health insurance premiums. - joining a pooled Supplemental Needs Trust (SNT). B. Medicare Savings Program (MSP) – If client is not eligible for Medicaid, explore eligibility for Medicare Savings Program (MSP).

MSP pays for Part B premiums and gets you into the Part D LIS. There are no asset limits in the Medicare Savings Program. One of the MSPs (QMB), also covers all cost sharing for Parts A &. B.

If your client is eligible for Medicaid AND MSP, enrolling in MSP may subject him/her to, or increase a spend-down, because Medicaid and the various MSPs have different income eligibility levels. It is the client’s choice as to whether or not to be enrolled into MSP. C. Part D Low Income Subsidy (LIS) – If your client is not eligible for MSP or Medicaid, s/he may still be eligible for Part D Low Income Subsidy.

Applications for LIS are also be treated as applications for MSP, unless the client affirmatively indicates that s/he does not want to apply for MSP. d. Medicare supplemental insurance (Medigap) -- Medigap is supplemental private insurance coverage that covers all or some of the deductibles and coinsurance for Medicare Parts A and B. Medigap is not available to people enrolled in Part C.

E. Medicare Advantage – Medicare Advantage plans “package” Medicare (Part A and B) benefits, with or without Part D coverage, through a private health insurance plan. The cost-sharing structure (deductible, premium, co-pays) varies from plan to plan. For a list of Medicare Advantage plans in your area, go to www.medicare.gov – click on “find health plans.” f.

NY Prescription Saver Card -- NYP$ is a state-sponsored pharmacy discount card that can lower the cost of prescriptions by as much as 60 percent on generics and 30 percent on brand name drugs. Can be used during the Part D “donut hole” (coverage gap) g. For clients living with HIV. ADAP [AIDS Drug Assistance Program] ADAP provides free medications for the treatment of HIV/AIDS and opportunistic s.

ADAP can be used to help meet a Medicaid spenddown and get into the Part D Low Income subsidy. For more information about ADAP, go to V. GETTING MEDICAID IN THE DISABLED CATEGORY AFTER AN SSI/SSDI DENIAL What if your client's application for SSI or SSDI is denied based on SSA's finding that they were not "disabled?. " Obviously, you have your appeals work cut out for you, but in the meantime, what can they do about health insurance?.

It is still possible to have Medicaid make a separate disability determination that is not controlled by the unfavorable SSA determination in certain situations. Specifically, an applicant is entitled to a new disability determination where he/she. alleges a different or additional disabling condition than that considered by SSA in making its determination. Or alleges less than 12 months after the most recent unfavorable SSA disability determination that his/her condition has changed or deteriorated, alleges a new period of disability which meets the duration requirement, and SSA has refused to reopen or reconsider the allegations, or the individual is now ineligible for SSA benefits for a non-medical reason.

Or alleges more than 12 months after the most recent unfavorable SSA disability determination that his/her condition has changed or deteriorated since the SSA determination and alleges a new period of disability which meets the duration requirement, and has not applied to SSA regarding these allegations. See GIS 10-MA-014 and 08 OHIP/INF-03.[4] [1] Potential wrinkle – for some clients Medicaid is not automatically pick up cost-sharing. In Monroe County we have had several cases where SSA began deducting Medicare Part B premiums from the checks of clients who were receiving SSI and Medicaid and then qualified for Medicare. The process should be automatic.

Please contact Geoffrey Hale in our Rochester office if you encounter any cases like this. [2]Under terms established to provide benefits for QMBs, a provider agreement necessary for reimbursement “may be executed through the submission of a claim to the Medicaid agency requesting Medicaid payment for Medicare deductibles and coinsurance for QMBs.” CMS State Medicaid Manual, Chapter 3, Eligibility, 3490.14 (b), available at. http://www.cms.hhs.gov/Manuals/PBM/itemdetail.asp?. ItemID=CMS021927.

[3]Benchmark plans are free if you are an LIS recipient. The amount of the benchmark changes from year to year. In 2013, a Part D plan in New York State is considered benchmark if it provides basic Part D coverage and its monthly premium is $43.22 or less. [4] These citations courtesy of Jim Murphy at Legal Services of Central New York.

This site provides general information only. This is not legal advice. You can only obtain legal advice from a lawyer. In addition, your use of this site does not create an attorney-client relationship.

To contact a lawyer, visit http://lawhelp.org/ny. We make every effort to keep these materials and links up-to-date and in accordance with New York City, New York state and federal law. However, we do not guarantee the accuracy of this information.Some "dual eligible" beneficiaries (people who have Medicare and Medicaid) are entitled to receive reimbursement of their Medicare Part B premiums from New York State through the Medicare Insurance Premium Payment Program (MIPP). The Part B premium is $148.50 in 2021.

MIPP is for some groups who are either not eligible for -- or who are not yet enrolled in-- the Medicare Savings Program (MSP), which is the main program that pays the Medicare Part B premium for low-income people. Some people are not eligible for an MSP even though they have full Medicaid with no spend down. This is because they are in a special Medicaid eligibility category -- discussed below -- with Medicaid income limits that are actually HIGHER than the MSP income limits. MIPP reimburses them for their Part B premium because they have “full Medicaid” (no spend down) but are ineligible for MSP because their income is above the MSP SLIMB level (120% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL).

Even if their income is under the QI-1 MSP level (135% FPL), someone cannot have both QI-1 and Medicaid). Instead, these consumers can have their Part B premium reimbursed through the MIPP program. In this article. The MIPP program was established because the State determined that those who have full Medicaid and Medicare Part B should be reimbursed for their Part B premium, even if they do not qualify for MSP, because Medicare is considered cost effective third party health insurance, and because consumers must enroll in Medicare as a condition of eligibility for Medicaid (See 89 ADM 7).

There are generally four groups of dual-eligible consumers that are eligible for MIPP. Therefore, many MBI WPD consumers have incomes higher than what MSP normally allows, but still have full Medicaid with no spend down. Those consumers can qualify for MIPP and have their Part B premiums reimbursed. Here is an example.

Sam is age 50 and has Medicare and MBI-WPD. She gets $1500/mo gross from Social Security Disability and also makes $400/month through work activity. $ 167.50 -- EARNED INCOME - Because she is disabled, the DAB earned income disregard applies. $400 - $65 = $335.

Her countable earned income is 1/2 of $335 = $167.50 + $1500.00 -- UNEARNED INCOME from Social Security Disability = $1,667.50 --TOTAL income. This is above the SLIMB limit of $1,288 (2021) but she can still qualify for MIPP. 2. Parent/Caretaker Relatives with MAGI-like Budgeting - Including Medicare Beneficiaries.

Consumers who fall into the DAB category (Age 65+/Disabled/Blind) and would otherwise be budgeted with non-MAGI rules can opt to use Affordable Care Act MAGI rules if they are the parent/caretaker of a child under age 18 or under age 19 and in school full time. This is referred to as “MAGI-like budgeting.” Under MAGI rules income can be up to 138% of the FPL—again, higher than the limit for DAB budgeting, which is equivalent to only 83% FPL. MAGI-like consumers can be enrolled in either MSP or MIPP, depending on if their income is higher or lower than 120% of the FPL. If their income is under 120% FPL, they are eligible for MSP as a SLIMB.

If income is above 120% FPL, then they can enroll in MIPP. (See GIS 18 MA/001 - 2018 Medicaid Managed Care Transition for Enrollees Gaining Medicare, #4) When a consumer has Medicaid through the New York State of Health (NYSoH) Marketplace and then enrolls in Medicare when she turns age 65 or because she received Social Security Disability for 24 months, her Medicaid case is normally** transferred to the local department of social services (LDSS)(HRA in NYC) to be rebudgeted under non-MAGI budgeting. During the transition process, she should be reimbursed for the Part B premiums via MIPP. However, the transition time can vary based on age.

AGE 65+ Those who enroll in Medicare at age 65+ will receive a letter from their local district asking them to "renew" Medicaid through their local district. See 2014 LCM-02. The Medicaid case takes about four months to be rebudgeted and approved by the LDSS. The consumer is entitled to MIPP payments for at least three months during the transition.

Once the case is with the LDSS she should automatically be re-evaluated for MSP, even if the LDSS determines the consumer is not eligible for Medicaid because of excess income or assets. 08 OHIP/ADM-4. Consumers UNDER 65 who receive Medicare due to disability status are entitled to keep MAGI Medicaid through NYSoH for up to 12 months (also known as continuous coverage, See NY Social Services Law 366, subd. 4(c).

These consumers should receive MIPP payments for as long as their cases remain with NYSoH and throughout the transition to the LDSS. NOTE during erectile dysfunction treatment emergency their case may remain with NYSoH for more than 12 months. See here. EXAMPLE.

Sam, age 60, was last authorized for Medicaid on the Marketplace in June 2020. He became enrolled in Medicare based on disability in August 2020, and started receiving Social Security in the same month (he won a hearing approving Social Security disability benefits retroactively, after first being denied disability). Even though his Social Security is too high, he can keep Medicaid for 12 months beginning June 2020. Sam has to pay for his Part B premium - it is deducted from his Social Security check.

He may call the Marketplace and request a refund. This will continue until the end of his 12 months of continuous MAGI Medicaid eligibility. He will be reimbursed regardless of whether he is in a Medicaid managed care plan. See GIS 18 MA/001 Medicaid Managed Care Transition for Enrollees Gaining Medicare (PDF) When that ends, he will renew Medicaid and apply for MSP with his local district.

See GIS 18 MA/001 - 2018 Medicaid Managed Care Transition for Enrollees Gaining Medicare, #4 for an explanation of this process. That directive also clarified that reimbursement of the Part B premium will be made regardless of whether the individual is still in a Medicaid managed care (MMC) plan. Note. During the erectile dysfunction treatment emergency, those who have Medicaid through the NYSOH marketplace and enroll in Medicare should NOT have their cases transitioned to the LDSS.

They should keep the same MAGI budgeting and automatically receive MIPP payments. See GIS 20 MA/04 or this article on erectile dysfunction treatment eligibility changes 4. Those with Special Budgeting after Losing SSI (DAC, Pickle, 1619b) Disabled Adult Child (DAC). Special budgeting is available to those who are 18+ and lose SSI because they begin receiving Disabled Adult Child (DAC) benefits (or receive an increase in the amount of their benefit).

Consumer must have become disabled or blind before age 22 to receive the benefit. If the new DAC benefit amount was disregarded and the consumer would otherwise be eligible for SSI, they can keep Medicaid eligibility with NO SPEND DOWN. See this article. Consumers may have income higher than MSP limits, but keep full Medicaid with no spend down.

Therefore, they are eligible for payment of their Part B premiums. See page 96 of the Medicaid Reference Guide (Categorical Factors). If their income is lower than the MSP SLIMB threshold, they can be added to MSP. If higher than the threshold, they can be reimbursed via MIPP.

See also 95-ADM-11. Medical Assistance Eligibility for Disabled Adult Children, Section C (pg 8). Pickle &. 1619B.

5. When the Part B Premium Reduces Countable Income to Below the Medicaid Limit Since the Part B premium can be used as a deduction from gross income, it may reduce someone's countable income to below the Medicaid limit. The consumer should be paid the difference to bring her up to the Medicaid level ($904/month in 2021). They will only be reimbursed for the difference between their countable income and $904, not necessarily the full amount of the premium.

See GIS 02-MA-019. Reimbursement of Health Insurance Premiums MIPP and MSP are similar in that they both pay for the Medicare Part B premium, but there are some key differences. MIPP structures the payments as reimbursement -- beneficiaries must continue to pay their premium (via a monthly deduction from their Social Security check or quarterly billing, if they do not receive Social Security) and then are reimbursed via check. In contrast, MSP enrollees are not charged for their premium.

Their Social Security check usually increases because the Part B premium is no longer withheld from their check. MIPP only provides reimbursement for Part B. It does not have any of the other benefits MSPs can provide, such as. A consumer cannot have MIPP without also having Medicaid, whereas MSP enrollees can have MSP only.

Of the above benefits, Medicaid also provides Part D Extra Help automatic eligibility. There is no application process for MIPP because consumers should be screened and enrolled automatically (00 OMM/ADM-7). Either the state or the LDSS is responsible for screening &. Distributing MIPP payments, depending on where the Medicaid case is held and administered (14 /2014 LCM-02 Section V).

If a consumer is eligible for MIPP and is not receiving it, they should contact whichever agency holds their case and request enrollment. Unfortunately, since there is no formal process for applying, it may require some advocacy. If Medicaid case is at New York State of Health they should call 1-855-355-5777. Consumers will likely have to ask for a supervisor in order to find someone familiar with MIPP.

If Medicaid case is with HRA in New York City, they should email mipp@hra.nyc.gov. If Medicaid case is with other local districts in NYS, call your local county DSS. See more here about consumers who have Medicaid on NYSofHealth who then enroll in Medicare - how they access MIPP. Once enrolled, it make take a few months for payments to begin.

Payments will be made in the form of checks from the Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC), the fiscal agent for the New York State Medicaid program. The check itself comes attached to a remittance notice from Medicaid Management Information Systems (MMIS). Unfortunately, the notice is not consumer-friendly and may be confusing. See attached sample for what to look for.

Health Insurance Premium Payment Program (HIPP) HIPP is a sister program to MIPP and will reimburse consumers for private third party health insurance when deemed “cost effective.” Directives:.

Maximizing health coverage for DAP clients low cost cialis. Before and after winning the case Outline prepared by Geoffrey Hale and Cathy Roberts - updated August 2012 This outline is intended to assist Disability Advocacy Program (DAP) advocates maximize health insurance coverage for clients they are representing on Social Security/SSI disability determinations. We begin with a discussion of coverage options available while your client’s DAP case is pending low cost cialis and then outline the effect winning the DAP case can have on your client’s access to health care coverage.

How your client is affected will vary depending on the source and amount of disability income he or she receives after the successful appeal. I. BACKGROUND low cost cialis.

Public health coverage for your clients will primarily be provided by Medicaid and Medicare. The two programs are structured differently and have different eligibility criteria, but in order to provide the most complete coverage possible for your clients, they must work low cost cialis effectively together. Understanding their interactions is essential to ensuring benefits for your client.

Here is a brief overview of the programs we will cover. A. Medicaid.

Medicaid is the public insurance program jointly funded by the federal, state and local governments for people of limited means. For federal Medicaid law, see 42 U.S.C. § 1396 et seq., 42 C.F.R.

§ 430 et seq. Regular Medicaid is described in New York’s State Plan and codified at N.Y. Soc.

18 N.Y.C.R.R. § 360, 505. New York also offers several additional programs to provide health care benefits to those whose income might be too high for Regular Medicaid.

i. Family Health Plus (FHPlus) is an extension of New York’s Medicaid program that provides health coverage for adults who are over-income for regular Medicaid. FHPlus is described in New York’s 1115 waiver and codified at N.Y.

§369-ee. ii. Child Health Plus (CHPlus) is a sliding scale premium program for children who are over-income for regular Medicaid.

Medicare is the federal health insurance program providing coverage for the elderly, disabled, and people with end-stage renal disease. Medicare is codified under title XVIII of the Social Security Law, see 42 U.S.C. § 1395 et seq., 42 C.F.R.

§ 400 et seq. Medicare is divided into four parts. i.

Part A covers hospital, skilled nursing facility, home health, and hospice care, with some deductibles and coinsurance. Most people are eligible for Part A at no cost. See 42 U.S.C.

ii. Part B provides medical insurance for doctor’s visits and other outpatient medical services. Medicare Part B has significant cost-sharing components.

There are monthly premiums (the standard premium in 2012 is $99.90. In addition, there is a $135 annual deductible (which will increase to $155 in 2010) as well as 20% co-insurance for most covered out-patient services. See 42 U.S.C.

iii. Part C, also called Medicare Advantage, provides traditional Medicare coverage (Parts A and B) through private managed care insurers. See 42 U.S.C.

Premium amounts for Medicare Advantage plans vary. Some Medicare Advantage plans include prescription drug coverage. iv.

Part D is an optional prescription drug benefit available to anyone with Medicare Parts A and B. See 42 U.S.C. § 1395w, 42 C.F.R.

§ 423.30(a)(1)(i) and (ii). Unlike Parts A and B, Part D benefits are provided directly through private plans offered by insurance companies. In order to receive prescription drug coverage, a Medicare beneficiary must join a Part D Plan or participate in a Medicare Advantage plan that provides prescription drug coverage.

C. Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs). Funded by the State Medicaid program, MSPs help eligible individuals meet some or all of their cost-sharing obligations under Medicare.

L. § 367-a(3)(a), (b), and (d). There are three separate MSPs, each with different eligibility requirements and providing different benefits.

i. Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB). The QMB program provides the most comprehensive benefits.

Available to those with incomes at or below 100% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), the QMB program covers virtually all Medicare cost-sharing obligations. Part B premiums, Part A premiums, if there are any, and any and all deductibles and co-insurance. ii.

Special Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary (SLMB). For those with incomes between 100% and 120% FPL, the SLMB program will cover Part B premiums only. iii.

Qualified Individual (QI-1). For those with incomes between 120% and 135% FPL, but not otherwise Medicaid eligible, the QI-1 program covers Medicare Part B premiums. D.

Medicare Part D Low Income Subsidy (LIS or “Extra Help”). LIS is a federal subsidy administered by CMS that helps Medicare beneficiaries with limited income and/or resources pay for some or most of the costs of Medicare prescription drug coverage. See 42 C.F.R.

§ 423.773. Some of the costs covered in full or in part by LIS include the monthly premiums, annual deductible, co-payments, and the coverage gap. Individuals eligible for Medicaid, SSI, or MSP are deemed eligible for full LIS benefitsSee 42 C.F.R.

§ 423.773(c). LIS applications are treated as (“deemed”) applications for MSP benefits, See the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act (MIPPA) of 2008, Pub. Law 110-275.

II. WHILE THE DAP APPEAL IS PENDING Does your client have health insurance?. If not, why isn’t s/he getting Medicaid, Family Health Plus or Child Health Plus?.

There have been many recent changes which expand eligibility and streamline the application process. All/most of your DAP clients should qualify. Significant changes to Medicaid include.

Elimination of the resource test for certain categories of Medicaid applicants/recipients and all applicants to the Family Health Plus program. N.Y. Soc.

As of October 1, 2009, a resource test is no longer required for these categories. Elimination of the fingerprinting requirement. N.Y.

§369-ee, as amended by L. 2009, c. 58, pt.

C, § 62. Elimination of the waiting period for CHPlus. N.Y.

2008, c. 58. Elimination of the face-to-face interview requirement for Medicaid, effective April 1, 2010.

58, pt. C, § 60. Higher income levels for Single Adults and Childless Couples.

L. §366(1)(a)(1),(8) as amended by L. 2008, c.

Higher income levels for Medicaid’s Medically Needy program. N.Y. Soc.

GIS 08 MA/022 More detailed information on recent changes to Medicaid is available at. III. AFTER CLIENT IS AWARDED DAP BENEFITS a.

Medicaid eligibility. Clients receiving even $1.00 of SSI should qualify for Medicaid automatically. The process for qualifying will differ, however, depending on the source of payment.

These clients are eligible for full Medicaid without a spend-down. See N.Y. Soc.

ii. Medicaid coverage is automatic. No separate application/ recertification required.

iii. Most SSI-only recipients are required to participate in Medicaid managed care. See N.Y.

Eligible for full Medicaid since receiving SSI. See N.Y. Soc.

They can still qualify for Medicaid but may have a spend-down. Federal Law allows states to use a “spend-down” to extend Medicaid to “medically needy” persons in the federal mandatory categories (children, caretakers, elderly and disabled people) whose income or resources are above the eligibility level for regular Medicaid. See 42 U.S.C.

§ 1396 (a) (10) (ii) (XIII). ii. Under spend-down, applicants in New York’s Medically Needy program can qualify for Medicaid once their income/resources, minus incurred medical expenses, fall below the specified level.

For an explanation of spend-down, see 96 ADM 15. B. Family Health Plus Until your client qualifies for Medicare, those over-income for Medicaid may qualify for Family Health Plus without needing to satisfy a spend-down.

It covers adults without children with income up to 100% of the FPL and adults with children up to 150% of the FPL.[1] The eligibility tests are the same as for regular Medicaid with two additional requirements. Applicants must be between the ages of 19 and 64 and they generally must be uninsured. See N.Y.

§ 369-ee et. Seq. Once your client begins to receive Medicare, he or she will not be eligible for FHP, because FHP is generally only available to those without insurance.

For more information on FHP see our article on Family Health Plus. IV. LOOMING ISSUES - MEDICARE ELIGIBILITY (WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT) a.

SSI-only cases Clients receiving only SSI aren’t eligible for Medicare until they turn 65, unless they also have End Stage Renal Disease. B. Concurrent (SSD and SSI) cases 1.

Medicare eligibility kicks in beginning with 25th month of SSD receipt. See 42 U.S.C. § 426(f).

Exception. In 2000, Congress eliminated the 24-month waiting period for people diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease.) See 42 U.S.C. § 426 (h) 2.

Enrollment in Medicare is a condition of eligibility for Medicaid coverage. These clients cannot decline Medicare coverage. (05 OMM/ADM 5.

Medicaid Reference Guide p. 344.1) 3. Medicare coverage is not free.

Although most individuals receive Part A without any premium, Part B has monthly premiums and significant cost-sharing components. 4. Medicaid and/or the Medicare Savings Program (MSP) should pick up most of Medicare’s cost sharing.

Most SSI beneficiaries are eligible not only for full Medicaid, but also for the most comprehensive MSP, the Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) program. I. Parts A &.

B (hospital and outpatient/doctors visits). A. Medicaid will pick up premiums, deductibles, co-pays.

L. § 367-a (3) (a). For those not enrolled in an MSP, SSA normally deducts the Part B premium directly from the monthly check.

However, SSI recipients are supposed to be enrolled automatically in QMB, and Medicaid is responsible for covering the premiums. Part B premiums should never be deducted from these clients’ checks.[1] Medicaid and QMB-only recipients should NEVER be billed directly for Part A or B services. Even non-Medicaid providers are supposed to be able to bill Medicaid directly for services.[2] Clients are only responsible for Medicaid co-pay amount.

See 42 U.S.C. § 1396a (n) ii. Part D (prescription drugs).

a. Clients enrolled in Medicaid and/or MSP are deemed eligible for Low Income Subsidy (LIS aka Extra Help). See 42 C.F.R.

§ 423.773(c). SSA POMS SI § 01715.005A.5. New York State If client doesn’t enroll in Part D plan on his/her own, s/he will be automatically assigned to a benchmark[3] plan.

See 42 C.F.R. § 423.34 (d). LIS will pick up most of cost-sharing.[3] Because your clients are eligible for full LIS, they should have NO deductible and NO premium if they are in a benchmark plan, and will not be subject to the coverage gap (aka “donut hole”).

See 42 C.F.R. §§ 423.780 and 423.782. The full LIS beneficiary will also have co-pays limited to either $1.10 or $3.30 (2010 amounts).

See 42 C.F.R. § 423.104 (d) (5) (A). Other important points to remember.

- Medicaid co-pay rules do not apply to Part D drugs. - Your client’s plan may not cover all his/her drugs. - You can help your clients find the plan that best suits their needs.

To figure out what the best Part D plans are best for your particular client, go to www.medicare.gov. Click on “formulary finder” and plug in your client’s medication list. You can enroll in a Part D plan through www.medicare.gov, or by contacting the plan directly.

€“ Your clients can switch plans at any time during the year. Iii. Part C (“Medicare Advantage”).

a. Medicare Advantage plans provide traditional Medicare coverage (Parts A and B) through private managed care insurers. See 42 U.S.C.

Medicare Advantage participation is voluntary. For those clients enrolled in Medicare Advantage Plans, the QMB cost sharing obligations are the same as they are under traditional Medicare. Medicaid must cover any premiums required by the plan, up to the Part B premium amount.

Medicaid must also cover any co-payments and co-insurance under the plan. As with traditional Medicare, both providers and plans are prohibited from billing the beneficiary directly for these co-payments. C.

SSD only individuals. 1. Same Medicare eligibility criteria (24 month waiting period, except for persons w/ ALS).

I. During the 24 month waiting period, explore eligibility for Medicaid or Family Health Plus. 2.

Once Medicare eligibility begins. ii. Parts A &.

B. SSA will automatically enroll your client. Part B premiums will be deducted from monthly Social Security benefits.

(Part A will be free – no monthly premium) Clients have the right to decline ongoing Part B coverage, BUT this is almost never a good idea, and can cause all sorts of headaches if client ever wants to enroll in Part B in the future. (late enrollment penalty and can’t enroll outside of annual enrollment period, unless person is eligible for Medicare Savings Program – see more below) Clients can decline “retro” Part B coverage with no penalty on the Medicare side – just make sure they don’t actually need the coverage. Risky to decline if they had other coverage during the retro period – their other coverage may require that Medicare be utilized if available.

Part A and Part B also have deductibles and co-pays. Medicaid and/or the MSPs can help cover this cost sharing. iii.

Part D. Client must affirmatively enroll in Part D, unless they receive LIS. See 42 U.S.C.

§ 1395w-101 (b) (2), 42 C.F.R. § 423.38 (a). Enrollment is done through individual private plans.

LIS recipients will be auto-assigned to a Part D benchmark plan if they have not selected a plan on their own. Client can decline Part D coverage with no penalty if s/he has “comparable coverage.” 42 C.F.R. § 423.34 (d) (3) (i).

If no comparable coverage, person faces possible late enrollment penalty &. Limited enrollment periods. 42 C.F.R.

§ 423.46. However, clients receiving LIS do not incur any late enrollment penalty. 42 C.F.R.

§ 423.780 (e). Part D has a substantial cost-sharing component – deductibles, premiums and co-pays which vary from plan to plan. There is also the coverage gap, also known as “donut hole,” which can leave beneficiaries picking up 100% of the cost of their drugs until/unless a catastrophic spending limit is reached.

The LIS program can help with Part D cost-sharing. Use Medicare’s website to figure out what plan is best for your client. (Go to www.medicare.gov , click on “formulary finder” and plug in your client’s medication list.

) You can also enroll in a Part D plan directly through www.medicare.gov. Iii. Help with Medicare cost-sharing a.

Medicaid – After eligibility for Medicare starts, client may still be eligible for Medicaid, with or without a spend-down. There are lots of ways to help clients meet their spend-down – including - Medicare cost sharing amounts (deductibles, premiums, co-pays) - over the counter medications if prescribed by a doctor. - expenses paid by state-funded programs like EPIC and ADAP.

- medical bills of person’s spouse or child. - health insurance premiums. - joining a pooled Supplemental Needs Trust (SNT).

B. Medicare Savings Program (MSP) – If client is not eligible for Medicaid, explore eligibility for Medicare Savings Program (MSP). MSP pays for Part B premiums and gets you into the Part D LIS.

There are no asset limits in the Medicare Savings Program. One of the MSPs (QMB), also covers all cost sharing for Parts A &. B.

If your client is eligible for Medicaid AND MSP, enrolling in MSP may subject him/her to, or increase a spend-down, because Medicaid and the various MSPs have different income eligibility levels. It is the client’s choice as to whether or not to be enrolled into MSP. C.

Part D Low Income Subsidy (LIS) – If your client is not eligible for MSP or Medicaid, s/he may still be eligible for Part D Low Income Subsidy. Applications for LIS are also be treated as applications for MSP, unless the client affirmatively indicates that s/he does not want to apply for MSP. d.

Medicare supplemental insurance (Medigap) -- Medigap is supplemental private insurance coverage that covers all or some of the deductibles and coinsurance for Medicare Parts A and B. Medigap is not available to people enrolled in Part C. E.

Medicare Advantage – Medicare Advantage plans “package” Medicare (Part A and B) benefits, with or without Part D coverage, through a private health insurance plan. The cost-sharing structure (deductible, premium, co-pays) varies from plan to plan. For a list of Medicare Advantage plans in your area, go to www.medicare.gov – click on “find health plans.” f.

NY Prescription Saver Card -- NYP$ is a state-sponsored pharmacy discount card that can lower the cost of prescriptions by as much as 60 percent on generics and 30 percent on brand name drugs. Can be used during the Part D “donut hole” (coverage gap) g. For clients living with HIV.

ADAP [AIDS Drug Assistance Program] ADAP provides free medications for the treatment of HIV/AIDS and opportunistic s. ADAP can be used to help meet a Medicaid spenddown and get into the Part D Low Income subsidy. For more information about ADAP, go to V.

GETTING MEDICAID IN THE DISABLED CATEGORY AFTER AN SSI/SSDI DENIAL What if your client's application for SSI or SSDI is denied based on SSA's finding that they were not "disabled?. " Obviously, you have your appeals work cut out for you, but in the meantime, what can they do about health insurance?. It is still possible to have Medicaid make a separate disability determination that is not controlled by the unfavorable SSA determination in certain situations.

Specifically, an applicant is entitled to a new disability determination where he/she. alleges a different or additional disabling condition than that considered by SSA in making its determination. Or alleges less than 12 months after the most recent unfavorable SSA disability determination that his/her condition has changed or deteriorated, alleges a new period of disability which meets the duration requirement, and SSA has refused to reopen or reconsider the allegations, or the individual is now ineligible for SSA benefits for a non-medical reason.

Or alleges more than 12 months after the most recent unfavorable SSA disability determination that his/her condition has changed or deteriorated since the SSA determination and alleges a new period of disability which meets the duration requirement, and has not applied to SSA regarding these allegations. See GIS 10-MA-014 and 08 OHIP/INF-03.[4] [1] Potential wrinkle – for some clients Medicaid is not automatically pick up cost-sharing. In Monroe County we have had several cases where SSA began deducting Medicare Part B premiums from the checks of clients who were receiving SSI and Medicaid and then qualified for Medicare.

The process should be automatic. Please contact Geoffrey Hale in our Rochester office if you encounter any cases like this. [2]Under terms established to provide benefits for QMBs, a provider agreement necessary for reimbursement “may be executed through the submission of a claim to the Medicaid agency requesting Medicaid payment for Medicare deductibles and coinsurance for QMBs.” CMS State Medicaid Manual, Chapter 3, Eligibility, 3490.14 (b), available at.

http://www.cms.hhs.gov/Manuals/PBM/itemdetail.asp?. ItemID=CMS021927. [3]Benchmark plans are free if you are an LIS recipient.

The amount of the benchmark changes from year to year. In 2013, a Part D plan in New York State is considered benchmark if it provides basic Part D coverage and its monthly premium is $43.22 or less. [4] These citations courtesy of Jim Murphy at Legal Services of Central New York.

This site provides general information only. This is not legal advice. You can only obtain legal advice from a lawyer.

In addition, your use of this site does not create an attorney-client relationship. To contact a lawyer, visit http://lawhelp.org/ny. We make every effort to keep these materials and links up-to-date and in accordance with New York City, New York state and federal law.

However, we do not guarantee the accuracy of this information.Some "dual eligible" beneficiaries (people who have Medicare and Medicaid) are entitled to receive reimbursement of their Medicare Part B premiums from New York State through the Medicare Insurance Premium Payment Program (MIPP). The Part B premium is $148.50 in 2021. MIPP is for some groups who are either not eligible for -- or who are not yet enrolled in-- the Medicare Savings Program (MSP), which is the main program that pays the Medicare Part B premium for low-income people.

Some people are not eligible for an MSP even though they have full Medicaid with no spend down. This is because they are in a special Medicaid eligibility category -- discussed below -- with Medicaid income limits that are actually HIGHER than the MSP income limits. MIPP reimburses them for their Part B premium because they have “full Medicaid” (no spend down) but are ineligible for MSP because their income is above the MSP SLIMB level (120% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL).

Even if their income is under the QI-1 MSP level (135% FPL), someone cannot have both QI-1 and Medicaid). Instead, these consumers can have their Part B premium reimbursed through the MIPP program. In this article.

The MIPP program was established because the State determined that those who have full Medicaid and Medicare Part B should be reimbursed for their Part B premium, even if they do not qualify for MSP, because Medicare is considered cost effective third party health insurance, and because consumers must enroll in Medicare as a condition of eligibility for Medicaid (See 89 ADM 7). There are generally four groups of dual-eligible consumers that are eligible for MIPP. Therefore, many MBI WPD consumers have incomes higher than what MSP normally allows, but still have full Medicaid with no spend down.

Those consumers can qualify for MIPP and have their Part B premiums reimbursed. Here is an example. Sam is age 50 and has Medicare and MBI-WPD.

She gets $1500/mo gross from Social Security Disability and also makes $400/month through work activity. $ 167.50 -- EARNED INCOME - Because she is disabled, the DAB earned income disregard applies. $400 - $65 = $335.

Her countable earned income is 1/2 of $335 = $167.50 + $1500.00 -- UNEARNED INCOME from Social Security Disability = $1,667.50 --TOTAL income. This is above the SLIMB limit of $1,288 (2021) but she can still qualify for MIPP. 2.

Parent/Caretaker Relatives with MAGI-like Budgeting - Including Medicare Beneficiaries. Consumers who fall into the DAB category (Age 65+/Disabled/Blind) and would otherwise be budgeted with non-MAGI rules can opt to use Affordable Care Act MAGI rules if they are the parent/caretaker of a child under age 18 or under age 19 and in school full time. This is referred to as “MAGI-like budgeting.” Under MAGI rules income can be up to 138% of the FPL—again, higher than the limit for DAB budgeting, which is equivalent to only 83% FPL.

MAGI-like consumers can be enrolled in either MSP or MIPP, depending on if their income is higher or lower than 120% of the FPL. If their income is under 120% FPL, they are eligible for MSP as a SLIMB. If income is above 120% FPL, then they can enroll in MIPP.

(See GIS 18 MA/001 - 2018 Medicaid Managed Care Transition for Enrollees Gaining Medicare, #4) When a consumer has Medicaid through the New York State of Health (NYSoH) Marketplace and then enrolls in Medicare when she turns age 65 or because she received Social Security Disability for 24 months, her Medicaid case is normally** transferred to the local department of social services (LDSS)(HRA in NYC) to be rebudgeted under non-MAGI budgeting. During the transition process, she should be reimbursed for the Part B premiums via MIPP. However, the transition time can vary based on age.

AGE 65+ Those who enroll in Medicare at age 65+ will receive a letter from their local district asking them to "renew" Medicaid through their local district. See 2014 LCM-02. The Medicaid case takes about four months to be rebudgeted and approved by the LDSS.

The consumer is entitled to MIPP payments for at least three months during the transition. Once the case is with the LDSS she should automatically be re-evaluated for MSP, even if the LDSS determines the consumer is not eligible for Medicaid because of excess income or assets. 08 OHIP/ADM-4.

Consumers UNDER 65 who receive Medicare due to disability status are entitled to keep MAGI Medicaid through NYSoH for up to 12 months (also known as continuous coverage, See NY Social Services Law 366, subd. 4(c). These consumers should receive MIPP payments for as long as their cases remain with NYSoH and throughout the transition to the LDSS.

NOTE during erectile dysfunction treatment emergency their case may remain with NYSoH for more than 12 months. See here. EXAMPLE.

Sam, age 60, was last authorized for Medicaid on the Marketplace in June 2020. He became enrolled in Medicare based on disability in August 2020, and started receiving Social Security in the same month (he won a hearing approving Social Security disability benefits retroactively, after first being denied disability). Even though his Social Security is too high, he can keep Medicaid for 12 months beginning June 2020.

Sam has to pay for his Part B premium - it is deducted from his Social Security check. He may call the Marketplace and request a refund. This will continue until the end of his 12 months of continuous MAGI Medicaid eligibility.

He will be reimbursed regardless of whether he is in a Medicaid managed care plan. See GIS 18 MA/001 Medicaid Managed Care Transition for Enrollees Gaining Medicare (PDF) When that ends, he will renew Medicaid and apply for MSP with his local district. See GIS 18 MA/001 - 2018 Medicaid Managed Care Transition for Enrollees Gaining Medicare, #4 for an explanation of this process.

That directive also clarified that reimbursement of the Part B premium will be made regardless of whether the individual is still in a Medicaid managed care (MMC) plan. Note. During the erectile dysfunction treatment emergency, those who have Medicaid through the NYSOH marketplace and enroll in Medicare should NOT have their cases transitioned to the LDSS.

They should keep the same MAGI budgeting and automatically receive MIPP payments. See GIS 20 MA/04 or this article on erectile dysfunction treatment eligibility changes 4. Those with Special Budgeting after Losing SSI (DAC, Pickle, 1619b) Disabled Adult Child (DAC).

Special budgeting is available to those who are 18+ and lose SSI because they begin receiving Disabled Adult Child (DAC) benefits (or receive an increase in the amount of their benefit). Consumer must have become disabled or blind before age 22 to receive the benefit. If the new DAC benefit amount was disregarded and the consumer would otherwise be eligible for SSI, they can keep Medicaid eligibility with NO SPEND DOWN.

See this article. Consumers may have income higher than MSP limits, but keep full Medicaid with no spend down. Therefore, they are eligible for payment of their Part B premiums.

See page 96 of the Medicaid Reference Guide (Categorical Factors). If their income is lower than the MSP SLIMB threshold, they can be added to MSP. If higher than the threshold, they can be reimbursed via MIPP.

See also 95-ADM-11. Medical Assistance Eligibility for Disabled Adult Children, Section C (pg 8). Pickle &.

1619B. 5. When the Part B Premium Reduces Countable Income to Below the Medicaid Limit Since the Part B premium can be used as a deduction from gross income, it may reduce someone's countable income to below the Medicaid limit.

The consumer should be paid the difference to bring her up to the Medicaid level ($904/month in 2021). They will only be reimbursed for the difference between their countable income and $904, not necessarily the full amount of the premium. See GIS 02-MA-019.

Reimbursement of Health Insurance Premiums MIPP and MSP are similar in that they both pay for the Medicare Part B premium, but there are some key differences. MIPP structures the payments as reimbursement -- beneficiaries must continue to pay their premium (via a monthly deduction from their Social Security check or quarterly billing, if they do not receive Social Security) and then are reimbursed via check. In contrast, MSP enrollees are not charged for their premium.

Their Social Security check usually increases because the Part B premium is no longer withheld from their check. MIPP only provides reimbursement for Part B. It does not have any of the other benefits MSPs can provide, such as.

A consumer cannot have MIPP without also having Medicaid, whereas MSP enrollees can have MSP only. Of the above benefits, Medicaid also provides Part D Extra Help automatic eligibility. There is no application process for MIPP because consumers should be screened and enrolled automatically (00 OMM/ADM-7).

Either the state or the LDSS is responsible for screening &. Distributing MIPP payments, depending on where the Medicaid case is held and administered (14 /2014 LCM-02 Section V). If a consumer is eligible for MIPP and is not receiving it, they should contact whichever agency holds their case and request enrollment.

Unfortunately, since there is no formal process for applying, it may require some advocacy. If Medicaid case is at New York State of Health they should call 1-855-355-5777. Consumers will likely have to ask for a supervisor in order to find someone familiar with MIPP.

If Medicaid case is with HRA in New York City, they should email mipp@hra.nyc.gov. If Medicaid case is with other local districts in NYS, call your local county DSS. See more here about consumers who have Medicaid on NYSofHealth who then enroll in Medicare - how they access MIPP.

Once enrolled, it make take a few months for payments to begin. Payments will be made in the form of checks from the Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC), the fiscal agent for the New York State Medicaid program. The check itself comes attached to a remittance notice from Medicaid Management Information Systems (MMIS).

Unfortunately, the notice is not consumer-friendly and may be confusing. See attached sample for what to look for. Health Insurance Premium Payment Program (HIPP) HIPP is a sister program to MIPP and will reimburse consumers for private third party health insurance when deemed “cost effective.” Directives:.

Pt 141 and cialis

When we took the editorship pt 141 and cialis of Evidence-Based Mental Health (EBMH) at the end of 2013, we set two main objectives. To promote and embed an evidence-based medicine (EBM) approach into daily mental health clinical pt 141 and cialis practice, and to get an impact factor (IF) for EBMH. Both aims have been big challenges and we have pt 141 and cialis learnt a lot.EBM has been around for about 30 years now, shaping and changing the way we practice medicine.

When Guyatt and colleagues published their seminal paper in 1992,1 EBM was described as the combination of three intersecting domains. The best available evidence, pt 141 and cialis the clinical state and circumstances, and patient’s preferences and values. EBM and EBMH have since continuously evolved to deepen our understanding of these three domains.The best available evidenceWe keep complaining about the poor quality pt 141 and cialis of studies in mental health.

To properly assess the effects of interventions and devices before and after regulatory approval, we all know that randomised controlled trials are the best study design.2 3 However, real-world data are crucial to shed light on key clinical questions,4 especially when adverse events5 or prognostic factors6 are investigated. It necessarily …IntroductionQuality-adjusted life years (QALYs) have been increasingly used in pt 141 and cialis general medicine and in psychiatry to evaluate the impact of a disease on both the quantity and quality of life.1 One QALY is equal to 1 year in perfect health, can range down to zero (death) or may take negative values (worse than death). QALYs can be used to compare the burdens of various diseases, to appreciate the impact of their interventions, to help set priorities in resource allocations across different diseases and interventions and to inform personal decisions.The representative method to evaluate QALYs is the generic, preference-based measure of health including the Euro-Qol five dimensions (EQ-5D)2 3 and the SF-6D based on Short Form Survey-36 (SF-36).4 5 Of these, the EQ-5D is the most frequently used and is the preferred instrument by the National Institute of Health pt 141 and cialis and Care Excellence in the UK.

While the responsiveness of such generic measures to various mental conditions, especially severe mental illnesses, has been questioned,6 its validity and responsiveness to common mental disorders including depression and anxiety have been generally established.7 8However, the traditional focus pt 141 and cialis of measurements in mental health has centred mainly on symptoms. Many trials have, therefore, not administered the generic health-related quality of life measures. This has hindered comparison of impacts of mental disorders vis-à-vis other medical conditions on the one hand and also evaluation of values of their pt 141 and cialis interventions on the other.9 10We have been collecting individual participant-level data from randomised controlled trials of internet cognitive-behavioural therapies (iCBT) for depression,11 several of which administered both symptomatologic scales and generic health status scales simultaneously.

This study, therefore, attempts to link the depression-specific measure onto the generic measure of health in order to enable estimation of QALYs for depressive states pt 141 and cialis and their changes. Such cross-walking should facilitate assessment of burden of depression at its various severity and of the impacts of its various treatments.MethodsDatabaseWe have been accumulating a data set of individual participant data of randomised controlled trials of iCBT among adults with depressive symptoms, as established by specified cut-offs on self-report scales or by diagnostic interviews.11 For this study, we have selected studies that have administered the EQ-5D and depression severity scales at baseline and at end of treatment. We excluded patients if pt 141 and cialis they had missing data in either of the two scales at baseline or at endpoint.

We excluded studies that focused on patients pt 141 and cialis with general medical disorders (eg, diabetes, glioma) and depressive symptoms.MeasuresEQ-5D-3LThe EQ-5D-3L comprises five dimensions of mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression, each rated on three levels corresponding with 1=no problems, 2=some/moderate problems or 3=extreme problems/unable to do. This produces 3ˆ5=243 different health states, ranging from no problem at all in any dimension (11111) to pt 141 and cialis severe problems on all dimensions (33333). Each of these 243 states is provided with a preference-based score, as determined through the time trade-off (TTO) technique in a sample of the general population.

In TTO, respondents are asked to give the relative length of time in full health that they would be willing to sacrifice for the poor health states as pt 141 and cialis represented by each of the 243 combinations above. The EQ-5D scores range between 1=full health and 0=death to minus values=worse than pt 141 and cialis death bounded by −1. The scoring algorithm for the UK is based on TTO responses of a random sample (n=2997) of noninstitutionalised adults.

Over the years, value sets for EQ-5D-3L pt 141 and cialis have been produced for many countries/regions.2 3 7Depression severity scalesWe included any validated depression severity measures. The scale scores were converted into the most frequently used scale, pt 141 and cialis namely, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9),12 using the established conversion algorithms13 14 for the Beck Depression Inventory, second edition (BDI-II)15 or the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D).16The PHQ-9 consists of the nine diagnostic criteria items of major depression from the DSM-IV, each rated on a scale between 0 and 3, making the total score range 0–27. The instrument has demonstrated excellent reliability, validity and responsiveness.

The cut-offs have been proposed as 0–4, 5–9, 10–14, 15–19 and 20- for no, mild, moderate, moderately severe and severe depression, respectively.12Statistical analysesWe first calculated Spearman correlation coefficients between PHQ-9 and EQ-5D total scores at baseline, at end of treatment and their changes, to pt 141 and cialis establish if the linking is justified. Correlations were considered weak if pt 141 and cialis scores were <0.3, moderate if scores were ≥0.3 and<0.7 and strong if scores were ≥0.7.17 Correlations ≥0.3 have been recommended to establish linking.18 We then applied the equipercentile linking procedure,19 which identified scores on PHQ-9 and EQ-5D or their changes with the same percentile ranks and allows for a nominal translation from PHQ-9 to EQ-5D by using their percentile values. This approach has been used successfully for scales in depression, schizophrenia or Alzheimer’s disease.14 20–22 We analysed all trials collectively rather than by trial to maximise the sample size, ensure variability in the included populations and attain robust estimates.We conducted a sensitivity analysis by excluding studies that require the conversion of various depression severity scores into PHQ-9.All the analyses were conducted in R V.4.0.2, with the package equate V.2.0.7.23Ethics statementThe authors assert that all procedures contributing to this work comply with the ethical pt 141 and cialis standards of the relevant national and institutional committees on human experimentation and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 2008.

Ethical approval was not required for this study as it used only deidentified patient data.FindingsIncluded studiesWe identified seven RCTs of iCBT (total n=2457), which administered validated depression scales and EQ-5D both at baseline and at endpoint (online supplemental eTable 1). Three studies included only patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), one only patients pt 141 and cialis with subthreshold depression and the remaining three included both. All the studies administered EQ-5D-3L pt 141 and cialis.

PHQ-9 scores were converted from the BDI-II in three studies24–26 and from the CES-D in one study.27 The mean age of the participants was 41.8 (SD=12.3) years, 66.0% (1622/2457) were women and they scored 14.0 (5.4) on PHQ-9 and 0.74 (0.20) on EQ-5D at baseline and 9.1 (6.0) and 0.79 (0.21), respectively, at endpoint. When using the standard cut-offs of the PHQ-9,12 2.4% (60/2449) suffered from no depression (PHQ-9 scores <5), 20.2% (492/2449) from subthreshold depression (5≤PHQ-9 scores <10), 33.5% (820/2449) from mild depression (10≤PHQ-9 scores pt 141 and cialis <15), 26.5% (649/2449) from moderate depression (15≤PHQ-9 scores <20) and 17.3% (424/2449) from severe depression (20≤PHQ-9 scores) at baseline.Supplemental materialEquipercentile linkingSpearman’s correlation coefficient between the PHQ-9 and the EQ-5D scores was r=−0.29 at baseline, increased to r=−0.50 after intervention and was r=−0.38 for change scores.Figure 1 shows the equipercentile linking between PHQ-9 and EQ-5D total scores at baseline and at endpoint. Figure 2 shows the same pt 141 and cialis between their change scores.

Table 1 summarises the correspondences between the two scales.PHQ-9 and EQ-5D total scores at baseline pt 141 and cialis and endpoint. EQ-5D,Euro-Qol Five Dimensions. PHQ-9, PatientHealth pt 141 and cialis Questionnaire-9." data-icon-position data-hide-link-title="0">Figure 1 PHQ-9 and EQ-5D total scores at baseline and endpoint.

EQ-5D,Euro-Qol Five pt 141 and cialis Dimensions. PHQ-9, PatientHealth Questionnaire-9.PHQ-9 change scores and EQ-5D change scores. EQ-5D, Euro-Qol pt 141 and cialis Five Dimensions.

PHQ-9, Patient Health Questionnaire-9." pt 141 and cialis data-icon-position data-hide-link-title="0">Figure 2 PHQ-9 change scores and EQ-5D change scores. EQ-5D,Euro-Qol Five Dimensions pt 141 and cialis. PHQ-9, PatientHealth Questionnaire-9.View this table:Table 1 Conversion table from PHQ-9 to EQ-5D total and change scoresSensitivity analysisWhen we limited the samples to the three studies28–30 that administered PHQ-9 (total n=1375), the linking results were replicated (online supplemental eFigure 1).DiscussionThis is the first study to link a depression severity measure with the EQ-5D-3L both for total and change scores.

To summarise, subthreshold depression pt 141 and cialis corresponded with EQ-5D-3L index values of 0.9–0.8, mild major depression with 0.8–0.7, moderate depression with 0.7–0.5 and severe depression with 0.6–0.0. A five-point improvement in PHQ-9 corresponded approximately with an increase in EQ-5D-3L index values by 0.03, and a ten-point improvement can lead to an increase by approximately 0.25.A systematic review of utility values for depression31 found that the pooled mean (SD) utilities based on studies using the standard gamble as a direct valuation method were 0.69 (0.14) for mild, 0.52 (0.28) for moderate and 0.27 (0.26) for pt 141 and cialis severe major depression. The estimates based on studies using EQ-5D as an indirect valuation method were 0.56 (0.16) for mild, 0.52 (0.28) for moderate and 0.25 (0.15) for severe depression.

One recent study regressed PHQ-9 on SF-6D scores among 394 patients in theimproving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) cohort7 32 and estimated none/mild depression on PHQ-9 to pt 141 and cialis be worth 0.73 SF-6D scores, moderate depression 0.65 and severe depression 0.56. Our results are largely in line with these aforementioned studies.There was a consistent difference of about 0.07 EQ-5D scores for the same PHQ-9 pt 141 and cialis score if it represented the baseline or endpoint measurements (figure 1). This is understandable because a patient would rate their health status less satisfactory if they stayed equally symptomatic as before after the treatment and also because it means that they continued to suffer from depression for longer.

It is, therefore, reasonable to use the conversion table at baseline for relatively new cases of depression and that at end of treatment for more chronic cases (table 1).An effect size to be typically expected after 2 pt 141 and cialis months of antidepressant pharmacotherapy33 or psychotherapy27 34 over the pill placebo condition is 0.3. Given that pt 141 and cialis the average SD of PHQ-9 in the studies was about 6, an effect size of 0.3 corresponds to a difference by two points on PHQ-9. The differences in EQ-5D scores corresponding with the end-of-treatment PHQ-9 scores of x versus x+2, where x is between pt 141 and cialis 5 and 15 (table 1), ranges between 0.08 and 0.13, producing an approximate average of 0.1 EQ-5D scores.

If we assume that the same difference would continue for the ensuing 10 months, the gain in QALY per year would be equal to 0.09 QALY. If we assume that the difference would eventually wear out over the course of the year due to naturalistic pt 141 and cialis improvements to be expected in the control group, the gain in QALY per year would be equal to 0.05 QALY. (See figure 3 for a schematic pt 141 and cialis drawing to help understand the calculation of QALYs based on changing EQ-5D scores.

In reality, the changes will be more smoothly curvilinear but the calculation will be similar.) Since one QALY is typically valuated at US$50 000 or 3000 Stirling pounds,35 such therapies would be cost-effective if they cost US$2500 to US$4500 (150 to 270 pounds) or less. If a 1 day fill of generic selective serotonergic reuptake inhibitor antidepressants costs 1–3 dollars and a 1-year prescription costs US$400–1200 dollars, pt 141 and cialis or if 8–16 sessions of psychotherapy cost US$1600–3200 dollars, both therapies would be deemed largely cost-effective. An individual’s decision, by contrast, pt 141 and cialis will and should be more variable and no one can categorically reject nor require such treatments for all patients.A schematic graph showing gains in QALY due to typical pharmacotherapies or psychotherapies.

A patient may start with PHQ-9 of pt 141 and cialis 20, corresponding with EQ-5D index value of 0.5. Then they may improve after 2 months of antidepressant therapy to EQ-5D score of 0.9 (solid line), while they may improve to EQ-5D score of 0.8 even if on placebo (dashed line). If we assume that the same difference would continue for the ensuing 10 months while showing pt 141 and cialis slow gradual improvement in both cases, the gain in QALY per year would be equal to 0.09 QALY.

If we assume that the difference would eventually wear out over the course of the year due to pt 141 and cialis naturalistic improvements to be expected in the control group, the gain in QALY per year would be equal to 0.05 QALY. Please note that this is a schematic drawing for illustrative purposes. In reality, pt 141 and cialis the changes will be more smoothly curvilinear but the calculation will be similar.

EQ-5D, Euro-Qol Five pt 141 and cialis Dimensions. PHQ-9, Patient pt 141 and cialis Health Questionnaire-9. QALY, quality-adjusted life years." data-icon-position data-hide-link-title="0">Figure 3 A schematic graph showing gains in QALY due to typical pharmacotherapies or psychotherapies.

A patient may start with PHQ-9 of 20, corresponding with pt 141 and cialis EQ-5D index value of 0.5. Then they may improve after 2 months of antidepressant therapy to EQ-5D score of 0.9 (solid line), pt 141 and cialis while they may improve to EQ-5D score of 0.8 even if on placebo (dashed line). If we assume that the same difference would continue for the ensuing 10 months while showing slow gradual improvement in both cases, the gain in QALY per year would be equal to 0.09 QALY.

If we assume that the difference would eventually wear out over the course of the year due to naturalistic improvements to be expected in the control group, the gain in QALY per year pt 141 and cialis would be equal to 0.05 QALY. Please note pt 141 and cialis that this is a schematic drawing for illustrative purposes. In reality, the changes will be more smoothly curvilinear but the calculation will be similar.

EQ-5D,Euro-Qol Five pt 141 and cialis Dimensions. PHQ-9, PatientHealth Questionnaire-9 pt 141 and cialis. QALY, quality-adjustedlife years.Several caveats should pt 141 and cialis be considered when interpreting the results.

First, our sample was limited to participants of trials of iCBT. It may be pt 141 and cialis argued that the results, therefore, would not apply to patients with depression undergoing other therapies or in other settings. Second, the correlations between PHQ-9 and EQ-5D were strong enough for total scores at endpoint and for change scores to justify linking but were somewhat weaker at baseline, probably due pt 141 and cialis to limited variability in PHQ-9 scores at baseline because some studies required minimum depression scores.

However, the overall correspondence between PHQ-9 scores and EQ-5D had the same shape between baseline and endpoint, which will increase credibility of the linking at baseline as well. Third, we were able to pt 141 and cialis compare PHQ-9 to EQ-5D-3L only. The EQ-5D-5L, which measures health in five levels instead of three, has been developed to be more sensitive to change and to milder conditions.36 When data become available, we will pt 141 and cialis need to link PHQ-9 and EQ-5D-5L to examine if we can obtain similar conversion values.Our study also has several important strengths.

First, our sample included patients with subthreshold depression and major depression and from the pt 141 and cialis community or workplace and the primary care. Furthermore, they encompassed mild through severe major depression in approximately equal proportions. Second, all the patients in our sample received iCBT or control pt 141 and cialis interventions including care as usual.

Potential side effects of different antidepressants, repetitive brain stimulation, electroconvulsive therapy and other more aggressive therapies must of course be taken into consideration pt 141 and cialis when evaluating their impacts, but our estimates, arguably independent of major side effects, can better inform such considerations. Finaly, unlike any prior studies, we were able to link specific PHQ-9 scores and their changes scores to EQ-5D-3L index values.Conclusion and clinical implicationsIn conclusion, we constructed a conversion table linking the EQ-5D, the representative generic preference-based measure of health status, and the PHQ-9, one of the most popular depression severity rating scale, for both its total scores and change scores. The table will enable fine-grained assessment of burden of depression at its various levels of severity and of impacts of its various treatments which may bring various degrees of improvement at the expense of some potential side pt 141 and cialis effects.Data availability statementData are available upon reasonable request.

The overall database used for this IPD is restricted due to data sharing agreements with pt 141 and cialis the research institutes where the studies were conducted. IPD from individual studies are available from the individual study authors.Ethics statementsPatient consent for publicationNot required..

When we took the editorship of important link Evidence-Based Mental Health (EBMH) at the end of 2013, we set two low cost cialis main objectives. To promote and embed an evidence-based medicine (EBM) approach into daily mental health clinical practice, and to get an impact low cost cialis factor (IF) for EBMH. Both aims have been big challenges and we have learnt a lot.EBM has been around for about 30 years now, shaping and changing the way we practice low cost cialis medicine. When Guyatt and colleagues published their seminal paper in 1992,1 EBM was described as the combination of three intersecting domains.

The best available evidence, low cost cialis the clinical state and circumstances, and patient’s preferences and values. EBM and EBMH have since continuously evolved to deepen low cost cialis our understanding of these three domains.The best available evidenceWe keep complaining about the poor quality of studies in mental health. To properly assess the effects of interventions and devices before and after regulatory approval, we all know that randomised controlled trials are the best study design.2 3 However, real-world data are crucial to shed light on key clinical questions,4 especially when adverse events5 or prognostic factors6 are investigated. It necessarily …IntroductionQuality-adjusted life years (QALYs) have been increasingly used in general medicine and in psychiatry to evaluate the impact of a disease on both the quantity and quality of life.1 One QALY is equal low cost cialis to 1 year in perfect health, can range down to zero (death) or may take negative values (worse than death).

QALYs can be used to compare the burdens of various diseases, to appreciate the impact of their interventions, to help set priorities in resource allocations across different diseases and interventions and to inform personal decisions.The representative method to evaluate QALYs is the generic, preference-based measure of health including the Euro-Qol five dimensions (EQ-5D)2 3 low cost cialis and the SF-6D based on Short Form Survey-36 (SF-36).4 5 Of these, the EQ-5D is the most frequently used and is the preferred instrument by the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence in the UK. While the responsiveness of such generic measures to various mental conditions, especially severe low cost cialis mental illnesses, has been questioned,6 its validity and responsiveness to common mental disorders including depression and anxiety have been generally established.7 8However, the traditional focus of measurements in mental health has centred mainly on symptoms. Many trials have, therefore, not administered the generic health-related quality of life measures. This has hindered comparison of impacts of mental disorders vis-à-vis other low cost cialis medical conditions on the one hand and also evaluation of values of their interventions on the other.9 10We have been collecting individual participant-level data from randomised controlled trials of internet cognitive-behavioural therapies (iCBT) for depression,11 several of which administered both symptomatologic scales and generic health status scales simultaneously.

This study, therefore, attempts to link the depression-specific measure onto the generic measure of health in order to enable estimation of QALYs for depressive states and their changes low cost cialis. Such cross-walking should facilitate assessment of burden of depression at its various severity and of the impacts of its various treatments.MethodsDatabaseWe have been accumulating a data set of individual participant data of randomised controlled trials of iCBT among adults with depressive symptoms, as established by specified cut-offs on self-report scales or by diagnostic interviews.11 For this study, we have selected studies that have administered the EQ-5D and depression severity scales at baseline and at end of treatment. We excluded patients if they had missing data low cost cialis in either of the two scales at baseline or at endpoint. We excluded studies that focused on patients with general medical disorders (eg, diabetes, glioma) and depressive symptoms.MeasuresEQ-5D-3LThe EQ-5D-3L comprises five dimensions of mobility, self-care, usual low cost cialis activities, pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression, each rated on three levels corresponding with 1=no problems, 2=some/moderate problems or 3=extreme problems/unable to do.

This produces 3ˆ5=243 low cost cialis different health states, ranging from no problem at all in any dimension (11111) to severe problems on all dimensions (33333). Each of these 243 states is provided with a preference-based score, as determined through the time trade-off (TTO) technique in a sample of the general population. In TTO, respondents are asked to give the relative length of time in full health that they low cost cialis would be willing to sacrifice for the poor health states as represented by each of the 243 combinations above. The EQ-5D scores range between low cost cialis 1=full health and 0=death to minus values=worse than death bounded by −1.

The scoring algorithm for the UK is based on TTO responses of a random sample (n=2997) of noninstitutionalised adults. Over the years, value sets low cost cialis for EQ-5D-3L have been produced for many countries/regions.2 3 7Depression severity scalesWe included any validated depression severity measures. The scale scores were converted into the most frequently used scale, namely, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9),12 using the established conversion algorithms13 14 for the Beck Depression Inventory, second edition (BDI-II)15 or the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D).16The PHQ-9 consists of the nine diagnostic criteria items of major depression from the DSM-IV, each rated on a scale between 0 and 3, low cost cialis making the total score range 0–27. The instrument has demonstrated excellent reliability, validity and responsiveness.

The cut-offs have been proposed as 0–4, 5–9, 10–14, 15–19 and 20- for no, mild, moderate, moderately severe and severe depression, respectively.12Statistical analysesWe first calculated Spearman correlation coefficients between PHQ-9 and EQ-5D total scores at baseline, at end low cost cialis of treatment and their changes, to establish if the linking is justified. Correlations were considered weak if scores were <0.3, moderate if scores were ≥0.3 and<0.7 and strong if scores were ≥0.7.17 Correlations ≥0.3 have been recommended to establish linking.18 We then low cost cialis applied the equipercentile linking procedure,19 which identified scores on PHQ-9 and EQ-5D or their changes with the same percentile ranks and allows for a nominal translation from PHQ-9 to EQ-5D by using their percentile values. This approach has been used successfully for scales in depression, schizophrenia or Alzheimer’s disease.14 20–22 We analysed all trials collectively rather low cost cialis than by trial to maximise the sample size, ensure variability in the included populations and attain robust estimates.We conducted a sensitivity analysis by excluding studies that require the conversion of various depression severity scores into PHQ-9.All the analyses were conducted in R V.4.0.2, with the package equate V.2.0.7.23Ethics statementThe authors assert that all procedures contributing to this work comply with the ethical standards of the relevant national and institutional committees on human experimentation and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 2008. Ethical approval was not required for this study as it used only deidentified patient data.FindingsIncluded studiesWe identified seven RCTs of iCBT (total n=2457), which administered validated depression scales and EQ-5D both at baseline and at endpoint (online supplemental eTable 1).

Three studies included only patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), one only patients with subthreshold depression and the remaining low cost cialis three included both. All the studies administered EQ-5D-3L low cost cialis. PHQ-9 scores were converted from the BDI-II in three studies24–26 and from the CES-D in one study.27 The mean age of the participants was 41.8 (SD=12.3) years, 66.0% (1622/2457) were women and they scored 14.0 (5.4) on PHQ-9 and 0.74 (0.20) on EQ-5D at baseline and 9.1 (6.0) and 0.79 (0.21), respectively, at endpoint. When using the standard cut-offs of the PHQ-9,12 2.4% (60/2449) suffered from no depression (PHQ-9 scores <5), 20.2% (492/2449) from subthreshold depression (5≤PHQ-9 scores <10), 33.5% (820/2449) from mild depression (10≤PHQ-9 scores <15), 26.5% (649/2449) from moderate depression (15≤PHQ-9 scores <20) and 17.3% (424/2449) from severe depression (20≤PHQ-9 scores) at baseline.Supplemental materialEquipercentile linkingSpearman’s correlation coefficient between the PHQ-9 and the EQ-5D scores was r=−0.29 at baseline, increased to r=−0.50 after intervention and was r=−0.38 for change scores.Figure low cost cialis 1 shows the equipercentile linking between PHQ-9 and EQ-5D total scores at baseline and at endpoint.

Figure 2 shows the low cost cialis same between their change scores. Table 1 summarises the correspondences between the two scales.PHQ-9 and EQ-5D total scores low cost cialis at baseline and endpoint. EQ-5D,Euro-Qol Five Dimensions. PHQ-9, PatientHealth Questionnaire-9." data-icon-position data-hide-link-title="0">Figure 1 PHQ-9 and low cost cialis EQ-5D total scores at baseline and endpoint.

EQ-5D,Euro-Qol Five Dimensions low cost cialis. PHQ-9, PatientHealth Questionnaire-9.PHQ-9 change scores and EQ-5D change scores. EQ-5D, Euro-Qol Five low cost cialis Dimensions. PHQ-9, Patient Health Questionnaire-9." data-icon-position data-hide-link-title="0">Figure 2 PHQ-9 change scores and EQ-5D change low cost cialis scores.

EQ-5D,Euro-Qol Five Dimensions low cost cialis. PHQ-9, PatientHealth Questionnaire-9.View this table:Table 1 Conversion table from PHQ-9 to EQ-5D total and change scoresSensitivity analysisWhen we limited the samples to the three studies28–30 that administered PHQ-9 (total n=1375), the linking results were replicated (online supplemental eFigure 1).DiscussionThis is the first study to link a depression severity measure with the EQ-5D-3L both for total and change scores. To summarise, subthreshold depression corresponded with EQ-5D-3L index values of 0.9–0.8, low cost cialis mild major depression with 0.8–0.7, moderate depression with 0.7–0.5 and severe depression with 0.6–0.0. A five-point improvement in PHQ-9 corresponded approximately with an increase in EQ-5D-3L index values by 0.03, and a ten-point improvement can lead to an increase by approximately 0.25.A systematic review of utility values for depression31 found that the pooled mean (SD) utilities based on studies using the standard gamble as a direct valuation method were 0.69 (0.14) for low cost cialis mild, 0.52 (0.28) for moderate and 0.27 (0.26) for severe major depression.

The estimates based on studies using EQ-5D as an indirect valuation method were 0.56 (0.16) for mild, 0.52 (0.28) for moderate and 0.25 (0.15) for severe depression. One recent study regressed PHQ-9 on SF-6D scores among 394 patients in theimproving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) cohort7 32 and estimated none/mild depression on PHQ-9 to be worth 0.73 SF-6D scores, moderate low cost cialis depression 0.65 and severe depression 0.56. Our results are largely in line with these aforementioned studies.There was a consistent difference of low cost cialis about 0.07 EQ-5D scores for the same PHQ-9 score if it represented the baseline or endpoint measurements (figure 1). This is understandable because a patient would rate their health status less satisfactory if they stayed equally symptomatic as before after the treatment and also because it means that they continued to suffer from depression for longer.

It is, therefore, reasonable to use the conversion table at baseline for relatively new low cost cialis cases of depression and that at end of treatment for more chronic cases (table 1).An effect size to be typically expected after 2 months of antidepressant pharmacotherapy33 or psychotherapy27 34 over the pill placebo condition is 0.3. Given that the average SD of PHQ-9 low cost cialis in the studies was about 6, an effect size of 0.3 corresponds to a difference by two points on PHQ-9. The differences in EQ-5D scores corresponding with the end-of-treatment PHQ-9 scores of x versus x+2, where x is between 5 and 15 (table 1), ranges between 0.08 and 0.13, producing an approximate average of 0.1 EQ-5D low cost cialis scores. If we assume that the same difference would continue for the ensuing 10 months, the gain in QALY per year would be equal to 0.09 QALY.

If we assume that the difference would eventually wear out over the course of the year low cost cialis due to naturalistic improvements to be expected in the control group, the gain in QALY per year would be equal to 0.05 QALY. (See figure 3 for a schematic drawing to help understand low cost cialis the calculation of QALYs based on changing EQ-5D scores. In reality, the changes will be more smoothly curvilinear but the calculation will be similar.) Since one QALY is typically valuated at US$50 000 or 3000 Stirling pounds,35 such therapies would be cost-effective if they cost US$2500 to US$4500 (150 to 270 pounds) or less. If a 1 day low cost cialis fill of generic selective serotonergic reuptake inhibitor antidepressants costs 1–3 dollars and a 1-year prescription costs US$400–1200 dollars, or if 8–16 sessions of psychotherapy cost US$1600–3200 dollars, both therapies would be deemed largely cost-effective.

An individual’s decision, by contrast, will and should be more variable and no one can categorically reject nor require such treatments for all patients.A schematic graph showing gains in QALY due low cost cialis to typical pharmacotherapies or psychotherapies. A patient may start with PHQ-9 of low cost cialis 20, corresponding with EQ-5D index value of 0.5. Then they may improve after 2 months of antidepressant therapy to EQ-5D score of 0.9 (solid line), while they may improve to EQ-5D score of 0.8 even if on placebo (dashed line). If we assume low cost cialis that the same difference would continue for the ensuing 10 months while showing slow gradual improvement in both cases, the gain in QALY per year would be equal to 0.09 QALY.

If we assume that the low cost cialis difference would eventually wear out over the course of the year due to naturalistic improvements to be expected in the control group, the gain in QALY per year would be equal to 0.05 QALY. Please note that this is a schematic drawing for illustrative purposes. In reality, low cost cialis the changes will be more smoothly curvilinear but the calculation will be similar. EQ-5D, Euro-Qol Five low cost cialis Dimensions.

PHQ-9, Patient low cost cialis Health Questionnaire-9. QALY, quality-adjusted life years." data-icon-position data-hide-link-title="0">Figure 3 A schematic graph showing gains in QALY due to typical pharmacotherapies or psychotherapies. A patient may start with PHQ-9 of 20, corresponding with EQ-5D index value of low cost cialis 0.5. Then they may improve after 2 months of antidepressant therapy to low cost cialis EQ-5D score of 0.9 (solid line), while they may improve to EQ-5D score of 0.8 even if on placebo (dashed line).

If we assume that the same difference would continue for the ensuing 10 months while showing slow gradual improvement in both cases, the gain in QALY per year would be equal to 0.09 QALY. If we assume that the difference would eventually wear out over the course of the year due to naturalistic improvements to be expected in the control group, the gain in QALY low cost cialis per year would be equal to 0.05 QALY. Please note low cost cialis that this is a schematic drawing for illustrative purposes. In reality, the changes will be more smoothly curvilinear but the calculation will be similar.

EQ-5D,Euro-Qol Five low cost cialis Dimensions. PHQ-9, PatientHealth low cost cialis Questionnaire-9. QALY, quality-adjustedlife years.Several caveats should be considered when interpreting the results low cost cialis. First, our sample was limited to participants of trials of iCBT.

It may be argued that the results, therefore, would not apply to patients low cost cialis with depression undergoing other therapies or in other settings. Second, the correlations between PHQ-9 and EQ-5D were strong enough for total scores at endpoint and for low cost cialis change scores to justify linking but were somewhat weaker at baseline, probably due to limited variability in PHQ-9 scores at baseline because some studies required minimum depression scores. However, the overall correspondence between PHQ-9 scores and EQ-5D had the same shape between baseline and endpoint, which will increase credibility of the linking at baseline as well. Third, we were able to low cost cialis compare PHQ-9 to EQ-5D-3L only.

The EQ-5D-5L, which measures health in five levels instead of three, has been developed low cost cialis to be more sensitive to change and to milder conditions.36 When data become available, we will need to link PHQ-9 and EQ-5D-5L to examine if we can obtain similar conversion values.Our study also has several important strengths. First, our low cost cialis sample included patients with subthreshold depression and major depression and from the community or workplace and the primary care. Furthermore, they encompassed mild through severe major depression in approximately equal proportions. Second, all the patients in low cost cialis our sample received iCBT or control interventions including care as usual.

Potential side effects of different antidepressants, low cost cialis repetitive brain stimulation, electroconvulsive therapy and other more aggressive therapies must of course be taken into consideration when evaluating their impacts, but our estimates, arguably independent of major side effects, can better inform such considerations. Finaly, unlike any prior studies, we were able to link specific PHQ-9 scores and their changes scores to EQ-5D-3L index values.Conclusion and clinical implicationsIn conclusion, we constructed a conversion table linking the EQ-5D, the representative generic preference-based measure of health status, and the PHQ-9, one of the most popular depression severity rating scale, for both its total scores and change scores. The table will enable fine-grained assessment of burden of depression at its various levels of severity and of impacts of low cost cialis its various treatments which may bring various degrees of improvement at the expense of some potential side effects.Data availability statementData are available upon reasonable request. The overall database low cost cialis used for this IPD is restricted due to data sharing agreements with the research institutes where the studies were conducted.

IPD from individual studies are available from the individual study authors.Ethics statementsPatient consent for publicationNot required..