Impact of diagnosed depression on healthcare costs in adults with and without diabetes: United States, 2004-2011.

Egede LE, Bishu KG, Walker RJ, Dismuke CE. Impact of diagnosed depression on healthcare costs in adults with and without diabetes: United States, 2004-2011. Journal of affective disorders. 2016 May 1; 195:119-26.

Related HSR&D Project(s)

• IIR 06-219 – Ethnic Differences in Medication Adherence and Cost for Elderly Veterans with DM

Dimensions for VA is a web-based tool available to VA staff that enables detailed searches of published research and research projects.

If you have VA-Intranet access, click here for more information vaww.hsrd.research.va.gov/dimensions/

VA staff not currently on the VA network can access Dimensions by registering for an account using their VA email address.    Search Dimensions for VA for this citation
* Don't have VA-internal network access or a VA email address? Try searching the free-to-the-public version of Dimensions

Search for Abstract from PubMed

---

Abstract:

OBJECTIVE: This study used the Medical Expenditures Panel Survey (MEPS) to estimate the cost of diabetes, depression, and comorbid diabetes and depression over 8 years. METHODS: An 8-year pooled dataset was created using the household and medical provider components of MEPS. Medical expenditures were adjusted to a common 2014 dollar value. Analyses used responses of 147,095 individuals 18 years of age for the years 2004-2011. The dependent variable in this study was total healthcare expenditure and the primary independent variables were diabetes and depression status. A two-part (probit/GLM) model was used to estimate the annual medical spending and marginal effects were calculated for incremental cost. RESULTS: In the pooled sample, after adjusting for socio-demographic factors, comorbidities and time trend covariates, the incremental cost of depression only was $2654 (95% CI 2343-2966), diabetes was $2692 (95% CI 2338-3046), and both was $6037 (CI 95% 5243-6830) when compared to patients with none. Based on the unadjusted mean, annual average aggregate cost of depression only was estimated at $238.3 billion, diabetes only $150.1 billion and depression and diabetes together was $77.6 billion. CONCLUSION: Costs at both the individual and aggregate level are significant, with comorbid diagnoses resulting in higher incremental costs than the sum of the costs for each diagnosis alone. In addition, while the cost of depression increased over time, the cost of diabetes decreased over time, much due to decreased inpatient costs. This study highlights the tremendous cost savings possible through more aggressive screening, diagnosis, and treatment of depression.