The most expensive medical conditions in America

Health Aff (Millwood). 2002 Jul-Aug;21(4):105-11. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.21.4.105.

Abstract

This study uses a nationally representative survey to identify the most expensive conditions in the United States and to examine the association between spending and disability. The most expensive conditions at a population level were ischemic heart disease and motor vehicle accidents; at the per capita level they were respiratory malignancies. There was not a significant association between rank order of treatment costs and disability; the conditions with the greatest disability relative to expenditures were mood disorders, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and arthropathies. We use the findings to discuss the role for cost-of-illness and burden-of-disease estimates in setting priorities.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Accidents, Traffic / economics
  • Accidents, Traffic / statistics & numerical data
  • Disabled Persons
  • Disease / classification*
  • Disease / economics*
  • Health Care Costs / statistics & numerical data*
  • Health Care Surveys
  • Health Expenditures / statistics & numerical data*
  • Humans
  • Joint Diseases / economics
  • Joint Diseases / epidemiology
  • Mood Disorders / economics
  • Mood Disorders / epidemiology
  • Myocardial Ischemia / economics
  • Myocardial Ischemia / epidemiology
  • Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / economics
  • Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / epidemiology
  • Respiratory Tract Neoplasms / economics
  • Respiratory Tract Neoplasms / epidemiology
  • United States / epidemiology