Wilson’s Disease: An Analysis of Health Care Use and Cost Burden of Commercially Insured Adults in the United States

Abstract

The economic and health care use burdens of Wilson’s disease (WD) are unknown. In this study, we aimed to quantify this health care resource use and economic burden. We performed a retrospective case‐control analysis of individuals in the Truven Health MarketScan Commercial Claims database (2007‐2017). Using propensity scores, 424 WD cases were matched 1:1 to chronic liver disease (CLD) controls without WD. Total and service‐specific parameters, expressed in monthly averages, were quantified for the 6‐month pre‐WD diagnosis versus the 12‐month period after diagnosis. Wilcoxon signed‐rank tests and McNemar tests were used to examine incremental differences in burden between cases and controls. Adjusted multivariable generalized linear regression models were used to compare health care burdens. Relative to the 6‐month pre‐WD diagnosis, the 12 months after diagnosis had more claims per patient (2.87 vs. 3.35; P < 0.0001) and increased per patient health care costs (US $2,089 vs. US $3,887; P < 0.0001). WD cases incurred US $1,908 more in total unadjusted costs compared to controls in the 12‐month postindex date monthly averages. The increase in claims was primarily due to outpatient visits (1.62 vs. 1.82) and pharmaceutical claims (1.11 vs. 1.37). Cases also had higher health care costs for inpatient admissions (US $559 vs. US $1,264), outpatient visits (US $770 vs. US $1,037), and pharmaceutical claims (US $686 vs. US $1,489). Conclusion: WD is associated with significant health care cost and use burdens driven by increased inpatient admissions, outpatient visits, and pharmaceutical claims.