Direct and indirect costs associated with epileptic partial onset seizures among the privately insured in the United States.
OBJECTIVE
Compare annual direct and indirect costs between privately insured U.S. patients with epileptic partial onset seizures (POS) and matched controls.


METHODS
One thousand eight hundred fifty-nine patients (including a subset of 758 employees) with >or=1 (POS) diagnosis (ICD-9-CM: 345.4.x-345.7.x), 1999-2004, ages 16-64 years, were identified from a privately insured claims database. Control group was an age- and gender-matched cohort of randomly chosen beneficiaries without epilepsy (ICD-9-CM: 345.x). All were required to have continuous health coverage during 2004 (baseline) and 2005 (study period). Chi-square tests were used to compare baseline comorbidities. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used for comparisons of annual direct (medical and pharmaceutical) and indirect costs during the study period.


RESULTS
Patients with POS were on average 42 years of age, and 57% were women. Patients with POS had significantly higher rates of mental health disorders, migraine, and other neurologic disorders, and higher Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) compared with controls. On average, direct annual costs were significantly higher for POS patients ($11,276) compared with controls ($4,087), p < 0.001; difference of $7,190. Epilepsy-related costs (i.e., costs for antiepileptic drugs, claims with epilepsy or convulsions diagnoses) accounted for $3,290 (29% of direct costs). Employees with POS had substantial and significantly higher indirect (disability- and medically related absenteeism) costs compared with controls ($3,431 vs. $1,511, p < 0.001). Multivariate analyses supported the matched-control univariate findings.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients with POS had significantly higher costs compared with matched controls. Epilepsy-related costs underestimate the excess costs of patients with partial onset seizures.
Ivanova
Jasmina I
JI
Analysis Group, Inc, New York City, New York, USA. jivanova@analysisgroup.com
Birnbaum
Howard G
HG
Kidolezi
Yohanne
Y
Qiu
Ying
Y
Mallett
David
D
Caleo
Sue
S
D000041:Absenteeism; D000328:Adult; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017281:Cost of Illness; D016527:Drug Costs; D004828:Epilepsies, Partial / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006264:Health Benefit Plans, Employee / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017048:Health Care Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005102:Health Expenditures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007345:Insurance Claim Review / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019458:Insurance Coverage / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D038801:International Classification of Diseases; D008297:Male; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
D000927:Anticonvulsants