title: Major medical conditions and VA healthcare costs near end of life for veterans with spinal cord injuries and disorders.
abstract: We analyzed healthcare costs and medical conditions for 2,008 veterans with spinal cord injuries and disorders (SCI/Ds) near end of life. The average age at SCI/D onset and/ or occurrence was 42 years and at death was 66 years. The conditions that incurred the most costs included cancer (20.9%), influenza and/or pneumonia (15.1%), heart disease (13.5%), septicemia (5.9%), diabetes (5.3%), and stroke (5.1%). The average cost was $24,900 in the second year before end of life and reached $61,900 in the final year. Before end of life, costs accelerated during the final year from $3,100 in month 12 to $14,600 in the final month.
authors.affiliation: Health Economics Resource Center, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA, USA. wyu2@stanford.edu
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Bridget
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Shirley
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chow
authors.forename: Frances M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Weaver
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002423:Cause of Death; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000191:economics* / Q000401:mortality; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014493:United States Department of Veterans Affairs / Q000191:economics*; D014728:Veterans