Lifetime Economic Burden of Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis by Age at Diagnosis

Background & AimsUnderstanding the burden of Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) is important for measuring treatment value. We estimated lifetime health care costs incurred by patients with CD or UC by age at diagnosis.MethodsWe collected data from 78,620 patients with CD, 85,755 with UC, and propensity score-matched control subjects from the Truven Health MarketScan insurance claims databases (2008‒2015). Total medical (inpatient, outpatient) and pharmacy costs were captured. Cost variations over a lifetime were estimated in cost-state Markov models by age at diagnosis, adjusted to 2016 U.S. dollars and discounted at 3% per annum. We measured lifetime total and lifetime incremental cost (the difference between costs of CD or UC patients vs matched controls).ResultsFor CD, the lifetime incremental cost was $707,711 among patients who received their diagnosis at 0‒11 years, and $177,614 for patients 70 years or older, averaging $416,352 for a diagnosis at any age. Lifetime total cost was $622,056, consisting of outpatient ($273,056), inpatient ($164,298), pharmacy ($163,722), and emergency room (ER) ($20,979) costs. For UC, the lifetime incremental cost was $369,955 among patients who received their diagnosis at 0‒11 years, and $132,396 for individuals 70 years or older, averaging $230,102 for a diagnosis at any age. Lifetime total cost was $405,496, consisting of outpatient ($163,670), inpatient ($123,190), pharmacy ($105,142), and ER ($13,493) costs. Therefore, the prevalent populations of patients with CD or UC in the United States in 2016 are expected to incur lifetime total costs of $498 billion and $377 billion, respectively.ConclusionsUsing a Markov model, we estimated lifetime costs for patients with CD or UC to exceed previously published estimates. Individuals who receive a diagnosis of CD or UC at an early age (younger than 11 years) incur the highest lifetime cost burden. Advancing management strategies may significantly improve patient outcomes and reduce lifetime health care spending.