Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis Experience Substantial Economic and Quality-of-Life Burden
An analysis of national survey data underscores the significant financial and quality-of-life burden experienced by patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Published findings from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) covering 2018 to 2020 reveal that individuals with RA face substantially higher health care costs and diminished health-related quality of life (HRQoL) compared to those without the condition.
Annually, approximately 4.27 million US adults were identified as living with RA. According to the study, patients with RA incurred an average of $3383 more in annual health care expenditures than their non-RA counterparts. Much of this financial strain stemmed from prescription medications and inpatient hospital services.
Beyond financial costs, RA significantly impacted daily functioning and mental and physical well-being. Patients with RA reported notably lower scores on the Short Form-12 Health Survey, including a mean reduction of 4.78 points on the physical component summary and a slight decline of −0.84 points on the mental component summary. Furthermore, patients with RA were 2.02 times more likely to require assistance with basic and instrumental activities of daily living, signaling a broader impact on independence and overall quality of life.
Researchers emphasized the importance of factoring HRQoL into clinical decisions and encouraged managed care organizations and payers to be aware of the high prescription costs associated with RA care. The study reinforces the chronic and progressive nature of RA and calls for more comprehensive approaches to treatment that balance clinical outcomes with economic and humanistic considerations.
Reference
Huang Y, Li J, Krishna Agarwal S. Economic and humanistic burden of rheumatoid arthritis: results from the US national survey data 2018–2020. ACR Open Rheumatol. 2024;6(11):746-754. doi:10.1002/acr2.11728.
