“Super-utilizer” interventions: What they reveal about evaluation research, wishful thinking, and health equity

It is well known that a small number of patients with complex medical and social needs account for a large proportion of health care costs. Numerous interventions and policy incentives have been implemented in an attempt to reduce the health care use and costs of these “super‐utilizers.” Many of these interventions attempt to better manage patients’ complex physical, mental, and behavioral health issues while taking into account nonmedical problems such as poverty, food insecurity, housing instability, transportation challenges, and social isolation.