title: Managed care implications of age-related ocular conditions.
abstract: The economic costs of age-related ocular diseases and vision loss are increasing rapidly as our society ages. In addition to the direct costs of treating age-related eye diseases, elderly persons with vision loss are at significantly increased risk for falls and fractures, experiencing social isolation, and suffering from an array of comorbid medical conditions compared with individuals with normal vision. Recent studies estimate the total economic burden (direct and indirect costs) of adult vision impairment in the United States at $51.4 billion. This figure is expected to increase as the baby boomer generation continues to age. While a number of highly effective new therapies have caused a paradigm shift in the management of several major age-related ocular diseases in recent years, these treatments come at a substantial cost. This article reviews the economic burdens and treatment-related costs of 4 major ocular diseases of aging-glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and dry eye disease-and the implications for managed care.
authors.affiliation: Atrius Health/Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates, Watertown, MA, USA. William_Cardarelli@vmed.org.
authors.forename: William J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Cardarelli
authors.forename: Roderick A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000068258:Bevacizumab; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D016572:Cyclosporine / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D016527:Drug Costs; D015352:Dry Eye Syndromes / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D005902:Glaucoma, Open-Angle / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D053685:Laser Therapy; D006278:Medicare; D055118:Medication Adherence; D000069579:Ranibizumab; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014481:United States; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000191:economics; D057135:Wet Macular Degeneration / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D000068258:Bevacizumab; D016572:Cyclosporine; D000069579:Ranibizumab