Direct and indirect economic costs among private-sector employees with osteoarthritis.
OBJECTIVE
To estimate direct and indirect economic costs among private-sector employees with osteoarthritis (OA).


METHODS
Using a large US employer benefits database, we identified all employees with evidence of OA during calendar year 2007, and compared their costs of health care and work loss to age-and-sex-matched employees without evidence of OA in that year.


RESULTS
Private-sector employees with OA (n = 2399) averaged 62.9 days of absenteeism versus 36.7 days among matched comparators (n = 2399) (P < 0.01). Mean total direct costs among these persons were $17,751 and $5057, respectively (P < 0.01); 34% of health care costs among persons with OA arose from medical encounters with listed diagnoses of OA. Mean total indirect costs were two-fold higher among persons with OA ($5002 versus $2120 for those without OA; P < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Private-sector employees with OA have higher direct and indirect costs than those without this condition.
Policy Analysis, Inc, Brookline, MA 02445, USA. aberger@pai2.com
Ariel
A
Berger
Craig
C
Hartrick
John
J
Edelsberg
Alesia
A
Sadosky
Gerry
G
Oster
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D016208:Databases, Factual; D004651:Employment; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005102:Health Expenditures / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000191:economics*; D017149:Private Sector; D018582:Sick Leave / Q000191:economics; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult