Boomers Age, Arthritis Costs Rise

Arthritis medical costs in the U.S. topped $80 billion in
2003, up from nearly $65 billion in 1997.

Edward Yelin, PhD, and colleagues report that news in Arthritis &
Rheumatism. Yelin works at the University of California, San Francisco.

Yelin's team reviewed medical cost data on 22,000 U.S. adults in 1997 and
23,000 U.S. adults in 2003.

In 1997, nearly 37 million people in the U.S. had arthritis. That figure
rose to 46 million people in 2003, many of whom are baby boomers, note Yelin
and colleagues.

The rise in arthritis medical costs included a near doubling of prescription
drug costs, which rose from about $33 billion in 1997 to roughly $75 billion in
2003.

Average arthritis prescription costs per person were $141 in 1997 and $338
in 2003, the study shows.

Inpatient treatment costs dropped during the same period, the study shows.
In 1997, average inpatient costs per arthritis patient totaled $508, dropping
to $352 per person in 2003.

Yelin and colleagues foresee rising medical costs for arthritis.B They
write that "because the number of persons with arthritis and other
rheumatic conditions is projected to increase steadily to nearly 67 million by
2030, the economic impact is likely to continue to grow."

By Miranda Hitti
Reviewed by Louise Chang
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