Schizophrenia is a serious public health concern and a leading cause of disability. Previous studies have shown this disease is associated with an economic burden of more than $60 billion annually in direct and indirect costs in the United States. This report analyzes the annual and longitudinal costs associated with the treatment of patients with schizophrenia from a payer perspective.
Although the prevalence of schizophrenia is low in a commercially insured US population, this analysis shows that the average total claim cost per patient with schizophrenia is more than 4 times the average total claim cost for a demographically adjusted population without schizophrenia. Furthermore, for newly diagnosed patients with schizophrenia, the cost, which is largely driven by inpatient charges, is highest in the month of diagnosis.
This article was published by American Health and Drug Benefits.