The direct cost of rheumatoid arthritis

Abstract

Objectives: This analysis estimated the direct cost of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) from a societal perspective. Methods: Primary and secondary data sets were used to determine the rate of medical resource utilization. National average Medicare or Medicaid reimbursement rates were used to value direct costs (in 1994 dollars). Results: Persons with RA have, on average, $1702 in direct costs for treating RA annually. More than half of the total cost is for medications. Nursing home care accounts for nearly one fifth of the cost and hospitalizations and ambulatory care (combined) comprise another fifth of the total cost. Travel to medical appointments and medical supplies make up the remaining 10%. The projected annual US direct costs are $3.6 billion for treating RA. Conclusions: The health care utilization in persons with RA is frequent and includes a number of components leading to high annual direct cost.