Disease Care Costly for Women
Costs Skyrocketing for Over 65s With Certain Conditions
Oct. 2, 2002 -- Heart disease treatment can cost more than $400,000 over a woman's lifetime, according to an analysis of healthcare costs. The study is the first to quantify the lifetime cost of medical treatment for women with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or stress urinary incontinence.
The study also estimated costs for any coexisting conditions. For example, treatment for high cholesterol would be included in treatment for heart disease.
The researchers found that for women younger than 65, total lifetime cost of treatment, vs. the cost of treating someone without the condition, was as follows:
Costs were defined as payments made to insurance providers related to inpatient care, outpatient care, office visits, prescriptions, and other services.
And after age 65, the costs go up tremendously:
Such medical costs are "staggering," says Phyllis Greengerger, MSW, president and CEO of The Society for Women's Health Research, which conducted the study. In a news release, she says women need "to educate themselves about their potential health risks, understand the importance of disease prevention and the need for more research to advance treatments and therapies, as well as to prepare themselves financially."
The costs for women 64 and younger were calculated based on medical claims from 20,000 women. These costs were combined with government statistics to come up with costs for women 65 and older. They were compared with those for similar women without the health conditions and calculated to reflect 2002 costs for the average U.S. woman.
Eli Lilly and Company funded the study.
Disease Care Costly for Women
Costs Skyrocketing for Over 65s With Certain Conditions
Oct. 2, 2002 -- Heart disease treatment can cost more than $400,000 over a woman's lifetime, according to an analysis of healthcare costs. The study is the first to quantify the lifetime cost of medical treatment for women with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or stress urinary incontinence.
The study also estimated costs for any coexisting conditions. For example, treatment for high cholesterol would be included in treatment for heart disease.
The researchers found that for women younger than 65, total lifetime cost of treatment, vs. the cost of treating someone without the condition, was as follows:
- $432,000 more for treating heart disease, increasing by $6,700 every year.
- $233,000 more for treating type 1 or type 2 diabetes, increasing by $5,500 every year.
- $58,000 more for treating stressurinary incontinence, increasing by $3,300 every year.
Costs were defined as payments made to insurance providers related to inpatient care, outpatient care, office visits, prescriptions, and other services.
And after age 65, the costs go up tremendously:
- Heart disease costs increase by $30,700 every year.
- Diabetes costs increase by $25,000 every year.
- Stress urinary incontinence costs increase by $15,000 every year.
Such medical costs are "staggering," says Phyllis Greengerger, MSW, president and CEO of The Society for Women's Health Research, which conducted the study. In a news release, she says women need "to educate themselves about their potential health risks, understand the importance of disease prevention and the need for more research to advance treatments and therapies, as well as to prepare themselves financially."
The costs for women 64 and younger were calculated based on medical claims from 20,000 women. These costs were combined with government statistics to come up with costs for women 65 and older. They were compared with those for similar women without the health conditions and calculated to reflect 2002 costs for the average U.S. woman.
Eli Lilly and Company funded the study.
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