Although it is too early to analyze actual healthcare cost data for those who have been treated for COVID-19 in the United States, historical data from patients who have sought medical attention for influenza or pneumonia may be informative for understanding patient out-of-pocket costs due to treatment for COVID-19. The biological and clinical characteristics of COVID-19 differ from other respiratory infections, but the signs and symptoms that necessitate hospitalization and intensive care for severe cases of the disease are also seen in severe cases of other respiratory infections. In this report, we used healthcare claims data from three large, national research databases to investigate the variation in out-of-pocket costs for patients who historically experienced acute inpatient hospitalizations involving treatment of acute respiratory infections (pneumonia and influenza).

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