The excess costs of breast cancer health care in Hispanic and non-Hispanicfemale members of a managed care organization

The differences in costs for health care services between women with breast cancer and those without were estimated for Hispanic and non-Hispanic memb ers of a managed care organization. A total of 317 cases of breast cancer a nd 949 controls were selected using a comprehensive patient database. All h ealth care costs for the 4-12 months prior to the case's diagnosis and for the 12 months following the case's diagnosis were obtained. Costs were defi ned as charges to the health plan. Mean differences in total health care co sts between cases and controls were predicted using Tobit models for 4-12 m onths prior to diagnosis and the year after diagnosis by age group. Compare d to controls, women diagnosed with in situ breast cancers in all age group s had significantly higher health care costs 4-12 months prior to diagnosis . For women under 50 years of age, the difference in costs for cases compar ed to controls 12 months after diagnosis was almost three times greater for women with regional/distant disease ($17,093 +/- $1,559) compared to in si tu disease ($5,089 +/- $1,050). For women in the two other age groups (50-7 0 years and over 70 years), the difference was over twice as great for thos e with regional/distant disease compared to those with in situ disease. Mea n differences between cases and controls in health care costs 12 months aft er diagnosis were similar for Hispanic and non-Hispanic women for all stage s of disease.