Economic Burden of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Flares and Comorbidities in a Commercially Insured Population in the United States

• Published in: Journal of occupational and environmental medicine Vol. 55; no. 11; pp. 1262 - 1270
• Main Authors: Narayanan, Siva, Wilson, Kathleen, Ogelsby, Alan, Juneau, Paul, Durden, Emily
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hagerstown, MD Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a business of Wolters Kluwer Health 01-11-2013; Copyright by the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine; Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Ovid Technologies
• Subjects: Absenteeism; Adolescent; Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Case-Control Studies; Comorbidity; Cost of Illness; Disability; Female; Health Care Costs; Health care expenditures; Health Expenditures; Humans; Insurance, Health; Lupus; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic - economics; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic - therapy; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Original Article; Overhead costs; Retrospective Studies; Sarcoidosis. Granulomatous diseases of unproved etiology. Connective tissue diseases. Elastic tissue diseases. Vasculitis; Severity of Illness Index; Sick Leave - economics; United States; Young Adult; United States; North America; America; United States > US; USA; Human; Immunopathology; Connective tissue disease; Health insurance; Skin disease; Costs; Autoimmune disease; Concomitant disease; Systemic lupus erythematosus; Polypathology; Health economy; Systemic disease; Population; Economic aspect; Public health
• ISSN: 1076-2752; 1536-5948
• DOI: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000000008

OBJECTIVE:To estimate the medical and productivity-related cost burden of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) flares and comorbidities in a commercially insured population.
METHODS:Using administrative data, annual medical costs and indirect costs because of work loss were calculated for adult SLE patients, including flare severity and SLE-related comorbidity subsets, and a matched control group without SLE.
RESULTS:Adjusted annualized medical costs were $18,952, $4305, $914, and $441 greater for SLE patients with severe, moderate, mild, and no flares, respectively, during follow-up than those of the matched controls. Medical costs also varied by SLE-related comorbidity. Adjusted annualized indirect costs of work loss because of absence and short-term disability were $1867 and $1602 greater, respectively, for SLE patients than for controls.
CONCLUSIONS:SLE imposes a substantial cost burden to both patients and their employers.