Diagnosed diabetes in the U.S. cost a total of $327 billion in 2017, according to a new report commissioned by the American Diabetes Association published online March 22 in Diabetes Care.
Those costs represent an increase of 26 percent from 2012 to 2017 due to more incidences and the increased cost per case.
“The population diagnosed with diabetes has continued to grow by 700,000 people annually between 2012 and 2015, with prevalence projected to continue rising over time as the population grows and ages,” wrote first author Wenya Yang, of the Lewin Group, a healthcare consulting firm in Falls Church, Virginia, and colleagues. “Furthermore, there continue to be changes in the demographics of the population with diabetes, health care use and delivery patterns, technology, medical costs, insurance coverage, and economic conditions that affect the economic burden associated with diabetes.”
According to the report, the total cost figure includes $237 billion in direct medical expenditures and $90 billion in reduced productivity by American workers. Researchers noted 25 percent—or one in four dollars—is used for Americans with diagnosed diabetes. People with diagnosed diabetes incur costs of approximately $16,750 per year, of which $9,600 are due to diabetes.
The report also included the impact of indirect costs associated with diabetes in the workplace. Cost related to absenteeism from work was $3.3 billion, and reduced productivity while at work was $26.9 billion.
Additionally, the researchers accounted for costs relating to individuals who are unable to hold a job or not in the workforce. Costs related to reduced productivity for those not in the workforce was $2.3 billion, inability to work because of disease-related disability was $37.5 billion and lost productivity due to 277,000 premature deaths was almost $20 million.
“The estimates presented here show that diabetes places an enormous burden on society and has increased over time–both in the economic terms presented here and in reduced quality of life,” the researchers concluded.
As a senior news writer for TriMed, Subrata covers cardiology, clinical innovation and healthcare business. She has a master’s degree in communication management and 12 years of experience in journalism and public relations.