Economic Issues in Heart Failure in the United States

Paul A Heidenreich1, Gregg C Fonarow2, Yekaterina Opsha3

  • 1Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California; VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, California.

Insights

Heart failure care is costly due to hospitalizations and treatments. Inexpensive, older heart failure medications are highly cost-effective, while newer options may have high patient costs.

Area of Science:

  • Health Economics
  • Cardiology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Heart failure care incurs significant costs, driven by hospitalizations and chronic management.
  • Treatment effectiveness and cost vary widely, impacting patients and the healthcare system.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the economic burden of heart failure in the United States.
  • To summarize the cost-effectiveness of various heart failure interventions, including drugs, devices, diagnostics, and care transitions.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review and synthesis of existing data on heart failure costs and treatment effectiveness.
  • Analysis focused on cost per unit of benefit, often measured as an additional year of life.

Main Results:

  • Inexpensive, generic medications like angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, beta-blockers, and mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists are highly cost-effective.
  • Newer medications and devices show variable cost-effectiveness, frequently resulting in high out-of-pocket expenses for patients.

Conclusions:

  • Generic heart failure medications offer significant value and cost-effectiveness.
  • The high cost of newer therapies necessitates careful consideration of patient financial burden and overall healthcare system impact.

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