Francisca Azocar
Biographic Data
| ID | 5534390 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Francisca Azocar |
| GIVEN NAMES | Francisca |
| FAMILY NAME | Azocar |
| SIGNATURE | AZOCAR F |
| AFFILIATIONS | Optum Behavioral Health, Eden Prairie |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-8808-1770 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 5 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 1 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 5 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1996 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2022 |
| H-INDEX | 1 |
Comparing Gold-standard Copayment and Coinsurance Values From Claims Processing Engines to Values Derived From Behavioral Health Claims Databases
BACKGROUND: While researchers use patient expenditures in claims data to estimate insurance benefit features, little evidence exists to indicate whether the resulting measures are accurate. OBJECTIVE: To develop and test an algorithm for deriving copayment and coinsurance values from behavioral health claims data. SUBJECTS: Employer-sponsored insurance plans from 2011 to 2013 for a national managed behavioral health organization (MBHO). MEASURES:…
Comparative Effectiveness of Different Treatment Pathways for Opioid Use Disorder
Importance Although clinical trials demonstrate the superior effectiveness of medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) compared with nonpharmacologic treatment, national data on the comparative effectiveness of real-world treatment pathways are lacking. Objective To examine associations between opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment pathways and overdose and opioid-related acute care use as proxies for OUD recurrence. Design, Setting, and Participa…
Relative Cost Differences of Initial Treatment Strategies for Newly Diagnosed Opioid Use Disorder
BACKGROUND: Relative costs of care among treatment options for opioid use disorder (OUD) are unknown. METHODS: We identified a cohort of 40,885 individuals with a new diagnosis of OUD in a large national de-identified claims database covering commercially insured and Medicare Advantage enrollees. We assigned individuals to 1 of 6 mutually exclusive initial treatment pathways: (1) Inpatient Detox/Rehabilitation Treatment Center; (2) Behavioral Hea…
The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act Evaluation Study
OBJECTIVE: The federal Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) sought to eliminate historical disparities between insurance coverage for behavioral health (BH) treatment and coverage for medical treatment. Our objective was to evaluate MHPAEA's impact on BH expenditures and utilization among "carve-in" enrollees. METHODS: We received specialty BH insurance claims and eligibility data from Optum, sampling 5,987,776 adults enrolled i…
Treatment of Depression in Disadvantaged Women
Low-income minority women are underrepresented in mental health service settings, yet they are clearly at risk for psychiatric disorders. We staff a clinic specialized in the treatment of depression in economically disadvantaged medical patients. We will share our experience treating disadvantaged and ethnic minority women and will discuss the ingredients necessary to provide quality therapy for these women. We will begin by discussing how poor a…
Treatment of Depression in Disadvantaged Women
Low-income minority women are underrepresented in mental health service settings, yet they are clearly at risk for psychiatric disorders. We staff a clinic specialized in the treatment of depression in economically disadvantaged medical patients. We will share our experience treating disadvantaged and ethnic minority women and will discuss the ingredients necessary to provide quality therapy for these women. We will begin by discussing how poor a…
Treatment of Depression in Disadvantaged Women
Low-income minority women are underrepresented in mental health service settings, yet they are clearly at risk for psychiatric disorders. We staff a clinic specialized in the treatment of depression in economically disadvantaged medical patients. We will share our experience treating disadvantaged and ethnic minority women and will discuss the ingredients necessary to provide quality therapy for these women. We will begin by discussing how poor a…
The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act Evaluation Study
OBJECTIVE: The federal Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) sought to eliminate historical disparities between insurance coverage for behavioral health (BH) treatment and coverage for medical treatment. Our objective was to evaluate MHPAEA's impact on BH expenditures and utilization among "carve-in" enrollees. METHODS: We received specialty BH insurance claims and eligibility data from Optum, sampling 5,987,776 adults enrolled i…
Comparative Effectiveness of Different Treatment Pathways for Opioid Use Disorder
Importance Although clinical trials demonstrate the superior effectiveness of medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) compared with nonpharmacologic treatment, national data on the comparative effectiveness of real-world treatment pathways are lacking. Objective To examine associations between opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment pathways and overdose and opioid-related acute care use as proxies for OUD recurrence. Design, Setting, and Participa…
Relative Cost Differences of Initial Treatment Strategies for Newly Diagnosed Opioid Use Disorder
BACKGROUND: Relative costs of care among treatment options for opioid use disorder (OUD) are unknown. METHODS: We identified a cohort of 40,885 individuals with a new diagnosis of OUD in a large national de-identified claims database covering commercially insured and Medicare Advantage enrollees. We assigned individuals to 1 of 6 mutually exclusive initial treatment pathways: (1) Inpatient Detox/Rehabilitation Treatment Center; (2) Behavioral Hea…
Comparing Gold-standard Copayment and Coinsurance Values From Claims Processing Engines to Values Derived From Behavioral Health Claims Databases
BACKGROUND: While researchers use patient expenditures in claims data to estimate insurance benefit features, little evidence exists to indicate whether the resulting measures are accurate. OBJECTIVE: To develop and test an algorithm for deriving copayment and coinsurance values from behavioral health claims data. SUBJECTS: Employer-sponsored insurance plans from 2011 to 2013 for a national managed behavioral health organization (MBHO). MEASURES:…
Medicine (4 works) · Mental health (4 works) · Psychiatry (4 works) · Health care (3 works) · Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes (3 works) · Ambulatory care (2 works) · Buprenorphine (2 works) · Emergency Medicine (2 works) · Environmental health (2 works) · HIV, Drug Use, Sexual Risk (2 works)