Trends in Medicare claims and costs for field therapies by dermatologists

To the Editor: Actinic keratoses (AKs) are among the most prevalent dermatologic diagnoses in the United States. 1 Warino L. Tusa M. Camacho F. Teuschler H. Fleischer Jr., A.B. Feldman S.R. Frequency and cost of actinic keratosis treatment. Dermatol Surg. 2006; 32: 1045-1049 Crossref PubMed Scopus (86) Google Scholar Approximately 60% of the nearly 5 million annual visits for AKs are by Medicare beneficiaries. 1 Warino L. Tusa M. Camacho F. Teuschler H. Fleischer Jr., A.B. Feldman S.R. Frequency and cost of actinic keratosis treatment. Dermatol Surg. 2006; 32: 1045-1049 Crossref PubMed Scopus (86) Google Scholar Several options for AK field-directed therapies exist, each with variable efficacy, cost, and patient adherence rates. 2 Lampley N. Rigo R. Schlesinger T. Rossi A.M. Field therapy for actinic keratosis: a structured review of the literature on efficacy, cost, and adherence. Dermatol Surg. 2023; 49: 124-129 Crossref PubMed Scopus (1) Google Scholar With rising healthcare costs nationwide, it is imperative that clinicians and health systems be aware of financial trends for therapeutic choices. In this study, we evaluate trends in field therapy usage and costs in the Medicare population.