TY - JOUR
T1 - Financial and clinical characteristics of fibromyalgia
T2 - a case-control comparison.
AU - Palacio, Ana
AU - Uribe, Claudia L.
AU - Li, Hua
AU - Hanna, John
AU - Deminski, Michael
AU - Alvir, Jose
AU - Chandran, Arthi
AU - Sanchez, Robert
PY - 2010/5
Y1 - 2010/5
N2 - OBJECTIVE: To compare healthcare utilization and costs between subjects with and without fibromyalgia (FM) using claims data from a large health benefits company in the United States. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort. METHODS: We analyzed 24 months of medical and pharmacy claims data comparing healthcare utilization and costs among Humana members diagnosed with FM to a propensity score matched control group without a diagnosis for FM. FM cases were identified as members aged 18 years and older, with at least 2 medical claims for International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification codes 729.0 and/or 729.1. The first medical claim for FM was utilized as the index date. RESULTS: A total of 9988 FM cases and 9988 controls were included in the analysis. Compared with controls, the use of pain-related medications by FM cases was approximately 2 times higher with opioids being used most commonly. FM cases utilized a mean (SD) of 22.5 (23.9) and 31.1 (26.6) outpatient services per year in the prediagnosis and postdiagnosis periods, respectively, compared with 14.8 (20.5) and 16.3 (24.5) among controls (P <.01). Office visits, tests, and procedures represented the majority of utilization. During the postdiagnosis period, the mean per-patient per-month costs for outpatient services among FM cases was $377 ($760) and $217 ($740.87) among controls (P <.01). CONCLUSION: FM cases had significantly higher utilization and costs compared with controls. Office visits, tests and procedures, and the use of pain-related medications accounted for the largest absolute differences between the 2 groups.
AB - OBJECTIVE: To compare healthcare utilization and costs between subjects with and without fibromyalgia (FM) using claims data from a large health benefits company in the United States. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort. METHODS: We analyzed 24 months of medical and pharmacy claims data comparing healthcare utilization and costs among Humana members diagnosed with FM to a propensity score matched control group without a diagnosis for FM. FM cases were identified as members aged 18 years and older, with at least 2 medical claims for International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification codes 729.0 and/or 729.1. The first medical claim for FM was utilized as the index date. RESULTS: A total of 9988 FM cases and 9988 controls were included in the analysis. Compared with controls, the use of pain-related medications by FM cases was approximately 2 times higher with opioids being used most commonly. FM cases utilized a mean (SD) of 22.5 (23.9) and 31.1 (26.6) outpatient services per year in the prediagnosis and postdiagnosis periods, respectively, compared with 14.8 (20.5) and 16.3 (24.5) among controls (P <.01). Office visits, tests, and procedures represented the majority of utilization. During the postdiagnosis period, the mean per-patient per-month costs for outpatient services among FM cases was $377 ($760) and $217 ($740.87) among controls (P <.01). CONCLUSION: FM cases had significantly higher utilization and costs compared with controls. Office visits, tests and procedures, and the use of pain-related medications accounted for the largest absolute differences between the 2 groups.
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M3 - Article
C2 - 20586520
AN - SCOPUS:77958120694
VL - 16
SP - S118-125
JO - American Journal of Managed Care
JF - American Journal of Managed Care
SN - 1088-0224
IS - 5 Suppl
ER -