SOCIETAL COST OF RA IN THE US | Arthritis Information

 

THU0546   SOCIETAL COST OF RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS: DIRECT AND INDIRECT COSTS IN THE UNITED STATES

H. Birnbaum*¹, C. Pike¹, R. Kaufman¹, M. Marynchenko², Y. Kidolezi¹, M. A. Cifaldi^3
1., Analysis Group, Inc., Boston, United States, ²., Analysis Group, Inc., Montreal, Canada, ³Global Health Economics and Outcomes Research, Abbott, Abbott Park, United States

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic and disabling disease that affects 1.3 million people in the United States (US) and imposes a large economic burden.¹ Although there are studies that estimate patient-level healthcare and work-loss costs, none document the comprehensive costs of RA at a societal level.
Objectives: To estimate the costs of RA to society and individual stakeholders including patients/employees, employers, family members (caregivers), and the government.
Methods: Using medical and drug claims databases that cover privately insured beneficiaries of US employers and other similar databases that cover beneficiaries of government programs (Medicare and Medicaid), we estimated the excess employer- and beneficiary-paid costs per patient with RA compared with matched controls. Similarly, we estimated the per-person excess medical and drug costs for family members as well as excess healthcare costs for uninsured RA patients. Other cost components also were estimated on a per-person basis. Using disability, imputed medical leave, and wage data, we estimated the work-loss cost to employers. Published data were used to estimate the costs of adaptations to home and work environment, lost on-the-job productivity, informal and hired care/household help, and job turnover costs. Costs associated with quality-of-life deterioration were estimated based on legal system jury awards, whereas costs for premature mortality were based on lifetime earnings data; both were included in the societal cost estimate as a sensitivity analysis. Per-capita cost estimates were weighted by the relevant population (based on prevalence estimates) to compute societal costs. Estimates of RA prevalence were based on National Arthritis Data Workgroup estimates.^1,2 All costs are reported in 2005 USD.
Results: Annual excess direct costs, ie, patient healthcare, were (.4 billion) and indirect costs, ie, other RA consequences, were (.9 billion), for a total societal cost of .3 billion. Of the .4 billion direct healthcare costs for patients, private insurers accounted for .1 billion, government payers accounted for .8 billion, and out-of-pocket costs (including costs for the uninsured) accounted for .5 billion. Of the total societal cost, 32% can be allocated to employers (.3 billion), 29% to patients (.5 billion), 20% to the government (.8 billion), and 19% to family members (.7 billion). This translates into a total annual cost of approximately ,000 per RA patient. Adding quality-of-life deterioration (.8 billion) and premature mortality (.6 billion) increases the societal costs to .7 billion (approximately ,000 per RA patient).

[QUOTE=Lynn49]...increases the societal costs to .7 billion (approximately ,000 per RA patient). Thanks, Lynn.  Very interesting. ttt interesting indeed!Something to think about with healthcare changes coming down the pipes.  Its not just RA but all AI diseases.   Copyright ArthritisInsight.com