Table 1.
Comparison of FFS Medicare beneficiary panel characteristics among all rheumatologists and those who are high-prescribers of Part D bDMARD prescriptions for adults ≥65 years of age.
| Variables | All rheumatologists | High-prescribers (≥20% bDMARDs) |
| No. of rheumatologists, n (%) | 3197 (100) | 405 (12.7) |
| Percent bDMARDs∗, median% (25th, 75th percentile) | 7.2 (2.9, 12.8) | 30.1 (23.9, 44.4) |
| Panel size, median (25th, 75th percentile) | 340 (188, 547) | 287 (162, 484) |
| Panel characteristics, median percentage of beneficiaries (25th, 75th percentile) | ||
| Race | ||
| White | 68.1 (42.9, 91.1) | 78.0 (55.6, 88.3) |
| Black | 6.8 (2.7, 14.9) | 6.8 (3.0, 14.4) |
| Hispanic | 3.3 (1.5, 8.3) | 5.4 (2.2, 13.8) |
| Non-Hispanic other | 5.4 (3.2, 10.0) | 6.6 (4.0, 13.4) |
| Female | 75.1 (71.1, 78.6) | 74.0 (68.2, 78.2) |
| Age ≥75 y | 38.5 (31.2, 75.8) | 40.2 (31.3, 48.3) |
| Dual eligible | 16.6 (9.9, 26.6) | 17.6 (7.8, 31.0) |
| Comorbid conditions | ||
| Cancer | 10.1 (8.0, 13.8) | 11.3 (8.8, 15.5) |
| Congestive heart failure | 17.1 (14.1, 21.4) | 18.2 (4.4, 23.8) |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18.4 (15.1, 22.6) | 17.9 (14.5,22.8) |
| Diabetes | 27.2 (23.2, 32.5) | 28.4 (23.3, 36.0) |
| Hypertension | 66.3 (60.3, 71.7) | 66.3 60.0,72.8) |
| Rheumatoid arthritis/osteoarthritis | 76.9 (69.1, 83.7) | 75.4 (68.4, 83.1) |