Economic Burden of Non-Infectious Inflammatory Eye Disease (NIIED) in a Commercially-Insured Population in the United States

Ocular Immunology and Inflammation, 2020

Purpose

To assess the economic burden of non-infectious inflammatory eyedisease (NIIED) in a commercially-insured population in the United States.

Methods

Adult patients with a NIIED diagnosis between 2006 and 2015 were selected from a de-identified, privately insured claims database and were matched 1:1 to a non-NIIED control. Ophthalmologic complications, direct healthcare resource use and costs, and indirect work loss (from the payer perspective) were calculated for a 12-month period and compared across the 2 cohorts.

Results

Among the 14 876 matched pairs, NIIED patients were significantly more likely than controls to experience ocular complications, including glaucoma and cataracts (p < 0.001). NIIED patients had significantly higher healthcare resource utilization and costs compared with matched controls (relative difference 40%, p < 0.001). NIIED patients missed 12.2 days of work ($2925 annual work-loss costs), 46% more than non-NIIED patients (p < 0.001).

Conclusion

NIIED imposes a significant clinical and economic burden, suggesting an unmet need for expanded access to alternative treatment options.

View abstract

Authors

Albini TA, Rice JB, White AG, Johnson M, Reiff J, Lima AF, Bartels-Peculis L, Ciepielewska G, Nelson WW