Objective: To provide a comprehensive assessment of the direct and indirect medical costs of PD in the US

Background: In addition to the debilitating symptoms of PD itself, people with PD (PWP) also experience injuries from falls and other comorbidities. As a result, PWP have higher medical needs, often miss work, retire early and require caregiver assistance. PD prevalence is predicted to increase in coming decades. Comprehensive information on the economic burden of PD is needed.

Method: Multiple data sources were used to estimate the different components of the cost of PD, including: The US Census population projections combined with Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) and the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) data; claims data from Medicare Standard Analytical File (SAF), non-acute care and prescription drug components from the MCBS, CDC Wonder data, average earnings data from Bureau of Labor Statistics, and one of the largest claims databases for the privately insured. Other indirect and non-medical cost components were estimated using a primary survey that was designed and implemented for this study. Costs were determined for an estimated 1 million Americans with PD using 2017 costs.

Results: The estimated total medical cost attributable to PD is just over $25 billion in the US. Nearly 90% of the total direct medical cost of PD are borne by Medicare and its beneficiaries with PD, with inpatient and non-acute institutional care representing the largest shares of the total direct cost. The average per-person direct cost was $22,671 for the privately insured PWP <65 years of age, and $24,847 for the Medicare beneficiary population (>65 years of age) with PD. The average indirect and non-medical cost per PWP is $18,229 for PWP alone and $24,149 for PWP combined with unpaid care partner burden. The estimated total indirect and non-medical cost of PD is $25.05 billion in 2017, with $18.9 billion attributed to PWP and another $6.1 billion to unpaid care partners.

Conclusion: This is the most comprehensive US study to date examining the overall economic burden of PD. Our findings underscore the significant burden of PD to society, payers, people with PD and their care partners.

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/the-economic-burden-of-parkinsons-disease-pd-in-the-united-states/