Determining the cost of obesity and its common comorbidities from a commercial claims database

Abstract

What is already known about this subject Obesity is highly prevalent and costly in the US. Obesity often leads to other comorbid conditions, including diabetes and hypertension. Obesity prevention efforts can reduce healthcare costs. What this study adds Obesity combined with other comorbidities significantly increases healthcare costs per patient visit. The combination of obesity and depression exacerbates costs. The most expensive series of chronic conditions in this study included obesity, diabetes, hypertension and depression. Our objectives were to determine payments made by commercial healthcare providers in the US for adults diagnosed with obesity, and those comorbid with any combination of selected chronic conditions. Using a commercial claims and encounters database (n = 3,562,717), we evaluated an adult study population that had at least one in-patient visit, outpatient visit or emergency department visit, and received a primary or secondary diagnosis of obesity. Persons were categorized by one or more comorbid diagnoses for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, depression or congestive heart failure. We adjusted for age and gender, and calculated the mean total net expenditures (in 2012, $US) for each combination of comorbid conditions based on individual visits to an in-patient, outpatient or emergency department setting. Among 50,717 claims with diagnosis of obesity, the mean net expenditure for in-patient and outpatient services was $ 1907 per patient per visit. Persons diagnosed with obesity and other comorbidities observed an increase in total net expenditures. Obesity and congestive heart failure observed the highest increase among single comorbidities at $ 5275. For persons with obesity and two other comorbidities, diabetes mellitus and depression was the highest at $ 15,226. The most expensive condition was obesity, diabetes mellitus, hypertension and depression at $ 15,733. Compared with average medical claims, persons diagnosed with obesity and other common chronic conditions experience significant increases in medical costs. These costs are often driven higher by time spent as in-patients. By controlling and reducing the prevalence of obesity, we may see significant decreases in medical expenditures.

Societal Implications of Health Insurance Coverage for Medically Necessary Services in the U.S. Transgender Population: A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis

“…Depression, suicidality, and drug abuse states resulted in rehabilitative costs. [26][27][28] The U.S. cost of illness for HIV was extracted from Walensky et al 29 Cost of provider coverage was dependent on combinations of surgery and HRT. HRT was a fixed cost.…”

Anxiety, Family Functioning and Neuroendocrine Biomarkers in Obese Children

“…[1][2][3] Anxiety, depression and obesity are recognized burdens in both human and economic terms, therefore, it is important to investigate the aetiological mechanisms involved. 4 Mental disorders, such as anxiety and depression, produce decrements in public health that are equivalent to those of other chronic physical diseases (e.g., angina, arthritis, asthma, and diabetes). 4 However, they are stigmatized and regarded as less important.…”

“…4 Mental disorders, such as anxiety and depression, produce decrements in public health that are equivalent to those of other chronic physical diseases (e.g., angina, arthritis, asthma, and diabetes). 4 However, they are stigmatized and regarded as less important. In fact, Revista Científica da Ordem dos Médicos www.actamedicaportuguesa.com…”

“…Pinto I, et al Anxiety, family functioning and neuroendocrine biomarkers in obese children , Acta Med Port 2017 Apr;30 (4): [273][274][275][276][277][278][279][280] it is not generally acknowledged that, when mental disorders coexist with these physical diseases, the decrease in public health scores is substantially greater than when they occur alone. Thus, a crucial implication follows, that primary health care providers should not ignore the presence of depression and/or anxiety disorders when treating patients with a chronic physical disease.…”

OBESIDAD Un problema no tan simple. [Obesity - Not such an easy problem].

“…Por ejemplo, en un análisis llevado a cabo recientemente sobre los gastos reclamados a las grandes compañías de seguros norteamericanas por adultos que reclamaban compensación económica única-mente por obesidad, se comprobó que el gasto medio generado por cada paciente ascendía a cerca de 2.000 dólares, frente a una media de 300 o 400 dólares para los que sufrían diabetes o hipertensión arterial, respectivamente. Como referencia, los gastos medios reclamados, por ejemplo, por pacientes con multipatología con obesidad y diabetes, u obesidad e hipertensión ascendían a 4.500 y 3.800 dólares, respectivamente (Padula 2013). Una etipatogenia compleja Las bases etiopatogénicas de la obesidad hay que buscarlas de la mano de la fisiopatología evolucionista.…”