Direct and indirect costs of rheumatoid arthritis to an employer

This study is among the first to estimate the overall economic burden of rh eumatoid arthritis (RA) from an employer perspective. The annual, per capit a cost of RA was determined for beneficiaries of a major employer by analyz ing medical, pharmaceutical, and disability claims data. The incremental co sts related to RA were determined by matching RA patients to a case-control group of individuals with no recorded RA treatment. The utilization of hea lth care services as well as the rate of disability among RA patients was s ubstantially higher than among the controls. For example, annual per capita employer expenditures for RA employees with disability were almost 3 times those of their controls ($17,822 vs $6131, respectively). Treatment to add ress not only the severity but also the progression of RA may substantially reduce overall employer expenditures for this disease.