Over nonelderly lifetime, SCD-attributable costs were estimated at $1.7 million for males; with out-of-pocket costs of $45,091<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
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THURSDAY, May 19, 2022 (HealthDay News) — Sickle cell disease (SCD) imposes a considerable burden in terms of overall and out-of-pocket medical costs, with the burden of costs peaking in young adulthood, according to a study published online May 16 in Blood Advances<\/em>.<\/p>\n Kate M. Johnson, Ph.D., from the University of Washington in Seattle, and colleagues estimated the total health care and out-of-pocket costs attributable to SCD among commercially insured individuals over their nonelderly lifetimes (ages 0 to 64 years). The retrospective cohort study included individuals diagnosed with SCD using commercial claims data from 2007 to 2018, compared with matched controls (20,891 patients and 33,588 controls).<\/p>\n The researchers found that the survival-adjusted SCD costs peaked at age 13 to 24 years and decreased at older ages. No significant difference was seen between the sexes in total medical costs or out-of-pocket costs. For females and males with SCD, SCD-attributable costs over 0 to 64 years of age were estimated to be $1.6 and $1.7 million, respectively; the corresponding out-of-pocket cost estimates were $42,395 and $45,091. These represented increases of 907 and 285 percent in total medical and out-of-pocket costs over controls, respectively. <\/p>\n “Hopefully, these findings will trigger some conversation around the pricing of gene therapies,” Johnson said in a statement. “While SCD is a rare disease, the current treatments available are placing a substantial economic burden on individuals and our entire health care system.”<\/p>\n Abstract\/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)<\/a><\/p>\n <\/i><\/p>\n