title: Economic impact to employers of treatment options for cardiac arrhythmias in the US health system.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To measure relative employer-sponsored postablation costs for cardiac arrhythmias (CA), specifically atrial fibrillation (AF).
  
  
  METHODS
  Regression-Controlled Employee/Spouse Database study (2001 to 2008) comparing CA patients with and without ablation and AF patients with and without ablation. Regression-adjusted monthly medical, pharmacy, sick leave, and short-term disability costs were calculated 11 months before index to 36 months after index (first ablation date or average date for nonablation patients). Relative pre/postindex comparisons between ablation and nonablation cohorts were calculated and time until ablation procedure cost recovery extrapolated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Few CA (280 of 11,291; 2.48%) and AF (93 of 3062; 3.04%) patients received ablation. Ablation cohorts cost less than nonablation cohorts postablation. Estimated total ablation-period costs were recovered 38 to 50 months postablation, including employee absence payment recovery within 18 months.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Current ablation use in employer-sponsored health plans may improve health care and absence costs over time.
authors.affiliation: HCMS Group LLC, Cheyenne, WY, USA. nathan_kleinman@hcmsgroup.com
authors.forename: Nathan L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Kleinman
authors.forename: Nicholas J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Rohrbacker
authors.forename: Sarah A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: White
authors.forename: Jamie L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: March
authors.forename: Matthew R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Reynolds
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000191:economics* / Q000601:surgery*; D001282:Atrial Flutter / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000191:economics / Q000601:surgery; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000191:economics*; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000191:economics; D017049:Employer Health Costs; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018582:Sick Leave / Q000191:economics; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents