title: Health care costs of veterans with multiple sclerosis: implications for the rehabilitation of MS. VA Multiple Sclerosis Rehabilitation Study Group.
abstract: We retrospectively determined health care costs among veterans with multiple sclerosis (MS) and correlated the costs with neurologic dysfunction. Total health care costs for the 165 patients averaged $35,000/year. VA benefits and homecare together accounted for 85% of the total costs. Total health care costs correlated with two measures of neurologic dysfunction, the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) (r = 0.61, p < 0.001) and the Incapacity Status Scale (ISS) (r = 0.64, p < 0.001). The costs of VA benefits, homecare, and hospitalizations also correlated with the EDSS, ISS, and other measures of neurologic dysfunction whereas the cost of outpatient clinic visits did not. In a period of three years, there were 40 hospitalizations, at a total cost of $412,800, that were potentially preventable with appropriate outpatient management. Improving selfcare and avoiding preventable hospitalizations might lower the considerable health care costs of MS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Portland VA Medical Center, OR 97207.
authors.forename: D N
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Bourdette
authors.forename: A V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Prochazka
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Licari
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Burks
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006699:Home Care Services / Q000191:economics; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000191:economics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000191:economics* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014481:United States; D014728:Veterans