title: Co-occurring chronic conditions and healthcare expenditures associated with Parkinson's disease: a propensity score matched analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The objective of this study was to ascertain co-occurring chronic conditions and expenditures associated with Parkinson's disease among elderly individuals (age ≥ 65 years).
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective, cross-sectional matched case-control design with data from Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), a nationally representative survey of households in the United States was used. Elderly with Parkinson's disease (N = 350) were compared to a matched control group (N = 1050) based on propensity scores. Ordinary Least Squares regressions on logged dollars were performed to understand the association between Parkinson's disease and expenditures. All analyses accounted for the complex survey design of the MEPS and were conducted in SAS 9.3.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among elderly, the average total expenditures were $15,404 for those with Parkinson's disease and $13,333 for those without Parkinson's disease. Results from regressions revealed that elderly with Parkinson's disease had 109% greater total expenditure compared to those without Parkinson's disease, when only demographic and socioeconomic variables were entered in the model. When co-occurring chronic conditions were additionally included in the model, those with Parkinson's disease had 84% greater expenditures compared to those without Parkinson's disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Excess expenditures associated with Parkinson's disease are partially driven by co-occurring conditions among individuals with Parkinson's disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Systems and Policy, School of Pharmacy, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA. sbhattacharjee@hsc.wvu.edu
authors.forename: Sandipan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bhattacharjee
authors.forename: Usha
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Sambamoorthi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002908:Chronic Disease; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005102:Health Expenditures / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D057216:Propensity Score; D012189:Retrospective Studies