No abstract

122). Resources used and expenditures incurred by patients with pneumonia that were directly attributable to pneumonia treatment (physician office visits, emergency room visits, outpatients visits, inpatient visits, other medical visits, and medications) were estimated. Health care costs per year per person (PYPP) were assessed across five age cohorts (Ͻ5, 5-Ͻ18, 18-Ͻ50, 50-Ͻ64, and Ն65 years old) and reported in 2008 US dollars. RESULTS: A total of 297 patients (representing 3.1 million persons) reported using medical resources or incurring expenditures due to pneumonia. Direct medical costs attributable to pneumonia were estimated at $2,763 (standard error [SE] Ϯ 344) per patient. Approximately 86% ($2,394) of this estimate was generated by inpatient hospitalizations for pneumonia, which were experienced by 26.9% of pneumonia patients, with an average of 0.31 admissions per patient. Physician office visits and home health visits were the next largest categories of expenditure, contributing $153 (5.5%) and $113 (4.1%), respectively. By age cohort, mean attributable costs PYPP for patients Ͻ5 (nϭ47), 5-Ͻ18 (nϭ38), 18-Ͻ50 (nϭ41), 50-Ͻ64 (nϭ108), and Ն65 years old (nϭ63)