Health care costs of veterans with multiple sclerosis: implications for the rehabilitation of MS. VA Multiple Sclerosis Rehabilitation Study Group.
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.
Bourdette
D N
DN
Department of Neurology, Portland VA Medical Center, OR 97207.
Prochazka
A V
AV
Mitchell
W
W
Licari
P
P
Burks
J
J
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