Diabetic Treatment is Expensive
Cost of Treatment is Reaching New Heights
As the number of patients diagnosed with diabetes rises in the United States, so does the average cost of treating each patient - according to a new report.
Cost of Treating Diabetes Soars
According to a study released by the HHS" Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the number of diabetics and the cost for treating the disease have both surged during the time period studied - 1996-2003.
The study states that the number of patients in the US diagnosed with diabetes rose from 9.9 million to 13.7 million (a 38% increase) while the cost for treatment, adjusted for inflation, nearly doubled to an annual rate of $1,714 per patient. More than 50% of the cost of treating diabetes is the cost of prescription drugs. The average person spent $476 in 1996 on medications and spent $883 in 2003.
Other Study Findings:
The report also found that hospitals spent 20% of their total expenditures on treating 6 million hospital stays of patients diagnosed with diabetes.
The overall cost for care of patients with diabetes - including treatment in all settings and for other illnesses associated with the disease - averaged more than $10,000 annually.
Diabetes patients were hospitalized longer than other patients - most likely contributing to the higher cost associated with treating diabetic patients.
For more information, go to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's home page at http://www.ahrq.gov/
