Health care, treatment patterns and cost of services for patients infectedwith chronic hepatitis C virus in a large insured New England population

The purpose of this study was to describe the cost of health care and the p atterns of treatment of young patients (under 65 years of age) identified i n health insurance claims as having received services for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. We screened computerized claims from a US indemni ty and managed care organization for out-patient and in-patient diagnoses r elated to HCV. Treatment patterns and costs of services were evaluated in t he following sites of care: in-patient care, emergency room, hospital out-p atient care, ambulatory office care and pharmaceuticals. There were 191 pat ients with chronic HCV-related claims in this study population (25 per 100 000), during 1995-97. Medical services and pharmaceutical costs in total (U S$ 7.1 million) constituted a considerable cost in patients with chronic HC V-related claims during 1995-97. A subset of 98 patients were prescribed in terferon-alpha with substantial variability in treatment regimens. Claims d ata provides a unique opportunity to estimate dollars paid for treatment pa tterns and health services in a 'real world' insured population and contrib utes to the understanding of health services for chronic HCV.