Characterizing pulmonary hypertension-related hospitalization costs among Medicare Advantage or commercially insured patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension: a retrospective database study.
OBJECTIVE
This study assessed pulmonary hypertension (PH)-related hospitalizations, including readmissions, among US patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), a rare disease characterized by high morbidity and premature mortality.


METHODS
Analysis of claims data (January 1, 2007-April 30, 2011) from adult enrollees with commercial or Medicare Advantage with Part D coverage from a large US health plan.


METHODS
Patients with PAH were identified based on ≥ 1 medical claim with a PH-related diagnostic code (International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Edition, Clinical Modification code 416.0 for primary pulmonary hypertension or 416.8 for other chronic pulmonary heart disease) and ≥ 1 pharmacy claim for a medication indicated for PAH or frequently used in PAH. Data were analyzed for patients with ≥ 1 hospitalization with a primary or secondary diagnostic code of PH. PH-related hospitalizations were defined as those with ≥ 1 PH-related diagnostic code. The principal diagnosis was defined as the diagnosis most frequently in the first-listed position on a hospitalization's facility claims. Total hospitalization costs (inflated to 2011 US$) and length of stay (LOS) were analyzed. A subgroup analysis evaluated readmissions.


RESULTS
Of 4009 enrollees meeting inclusion criteria, 2275 had ≥ 1 PH-related hospitalization during follow-up: 56.9% were female, 59.4% were < 65 years old, and 67.8% had commercial insurance. Mean (SD) costs across all hospitalizations were $46,118 ($135,137) for commercially insured and $16,319 ($30,046) for Medicare Advantage enrollees; LOS was 10.9 (20.4) and 12.8 (21.2) days, respectively. Costs and LOS were higher for admissions with a principal diagnosis of PH compared with other principal diagnoses: $61,922 ($213,596) versus $42,455 ($108,925) and 14.2 (32.3) versus 10.2 (16.4) days, respectively, for the commercially insured, and $19,584 ($29,501) versus $15,904 ($30,097) and 16.7 (25.7) versus 12.3 (20.5) days, respectively, for Medicare Advantage enrollees. Of the 954 patients who experienced ≥ 1 PH-related readmission within the first year after discharge from the initial hospitalization, 483 (50.6%), 246 (25.8%), and 225 (23.6%) patients had 1, 2, and ≥ 3 readmissions, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
PH-related hospitalizations incur substantial healthcare costs and require long hospital stays for patients with PAH; many are readmitted within 1 year. Improved treatment approaches are needed to reduce PAH disease progression leading to costly and burdensome inpatient stays.
Enderby.cher@mayo.edu.
James P
JP
Burke
Elke
E
Hunsche
Etienne
E
Régulier
Mitchell
M
Nagao
Paul
P
Buzinec
William
W
Drake Iii
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000191:economics*; D006801:Humans; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000191:economics*; D007345:Insurance Claim Review / Q000191:economics; D007348:Insurance, Health / Q000191:economics; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D020398:Medicare Part C / Q000191:economics*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010359:Patient Readmission / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult