Incremental third-party costs associated with COPD exacerbations: a retrospective claims analysis

Area of Science:

• Pulmonary Medicine
• Health Economics
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Exacerbations are a primary driver of the significant treatment burden associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
• Existing estimates of exacerbation-related costs in the U.S. are notably limited, necessitating further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify the incremental healthcare costs linked to COPD exacerbations in the United States.
• To specifically estimate the economic impact of severe COPD exacerbations.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the Thomson Reuters MarketScan administrative claims database to identify COPD patients with exacerbations.
• Defined COPD exacerbation by corticosteroid use within a specific timeframe following a COPD diagnosis claim.
• Categorized severe exacerbations by association with hospitalization or death; analyzed costs quarterly, comparing exacerbation vs. non-exacerbation periods.

Main Results:

• Analysis included 228,978 COPD patients (2,644,174 patient-quarters) over an average of 2.9 years.
• Mean incremental costs per patient-quarter were $11,261 for severe exacerbations, $1509 for non-severe exacerbations, and $3439 for any exacerbation, compared to quarters without exacerbations.
• These costs were significantly higher than the average $4762 per patient-quarter for patients without exacerbations.

Conclusions:

• COPD exacerbations, particularly severe episodes, represent a considerable economic burden for third-party payers.
• Implementing effective COPD management and exacerbation prevention strategies may improve patient outcomes and reduce overall long-term healthcare expenditures.