title: Cost impact of complications in meningococcal disease: evidence from a United States managed care population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare health care utilization and associated costs among patients with and without invasive meningococcal disease (IMD)-related sequelae.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective analysis of an administrative claims database from 1998-2009 was performed. Patients with an IMD-related inpatient admission and continuous health plan enrollment selected and categorized by presence (complicated-IMD) or absence (uncomplicated-IMD) IMD-related sequelae during the follow-up year. Differences in the follow-up year healthcare utilization and costs between the two groups tested using univariate and multivariable analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We identified 173 patients; 41% had at least one diagnosis claim for IMD-related sequelae. Significantly higher predicted total health care costs for complicated-IMD cases (mean: $72,101), compared with uncomplicated cases (mean: $41,883; P < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We observed significantly higher health care costs among complicated-IMD cases, compared with uncomplicated cases. The substantially higher costs observed among patients with IMD-related sequelae warrant inclusion of these costs in studies conducting economic evaluations of meningococcal vaccination programs.
authors.affiliation: RTI Health Solutions, Research Triangle Park, NC USA. kldavis@rti.org
authors.forename: Keith L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: Derek
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Misurski
authors.forename: Jacqueline
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: Sudeep
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Karve
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008329:Managed Care Programs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008589:Meningococcal Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000191:economics*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult