Costs Associated with ADHD Patients and Families

A team led by Analysis Group Managing Principal Paul E. Greenberg and affiliate Howard G. Birnbaum undertook research to estimate the direct (medical and prescription drug) and indirect (work loss) costs of children treated for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and their family members. They analyzed four samples, drawing on an administrative database from a national, Fortune 100 manufacturer that included all medical, pharmaceutical, and disability claims for beneficiaries. The ADHD patient sample included individuals age 18 or younger with at least one ADHD claim during the study period (1996-1998). Resource utilization of ADHD patients was contrasted with a matched control sample of patients who did not have claims for ADHD. The ADHD and non-ADHD family samples included non-ADHD family members of ADHD patients and their matched controls. The study, published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child Adolescent Psychiatry (June 2003), found that the annual average expenditure (direct cost) per ADHD patient was $1,574, compared to $541 among matched controls. The annual average payment (direct plus indirect cost) per family member was $2,728 for non-ADHD family members of ADHD patients versus $1,440 for family members of matched controls. Both patient and family cost differences were significant at the 95% confidence level.