RATIONALE: Real-world data on eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA) are sparse. This retrospective analysis of US administrative health insurance claims data (MarketScan® or Medicare) quantified the impact of EGPA versus severe uncontrolled asthma (SUA) on healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) and health insurer payment costs.
METHODS: Patients with newly diagnosed EGPA during 2017–2021 with ≥12 months of continuous pre-diagnostic health plan enrolment and ≥1 day of post-diagnostic follow-up were included and matched with ≤4 people with SUA based on demographic and enrollment characteristics. Follow-up ran from first observed EGPA diagnosis until health plan disenrollment/database end. Annualized HCRU and associated health insurer payment costs (not including deductible, co-pay or co-insurance) were assessed overall and by care setting.
RESULTS: 182 patients with EGPA were matched to 640 with SUA. Patients with EGPA versus SUA were more likely (p<0.001) to have a hospital inpatient stay (46% vs 16%) or outpatient visit (93% vs 74%), and had a higher mean number of days/year with a doctor’s visit (25 vs 16) and pharmacy claims/year (56 vs 46). Patients with EGPA versus SUA had higher healthcare-related costs ($118,127 vs $22,286, p<.001), mainly driven by higher costs for inpatient stays ($47,980 vs $4,172, p=.006), outpatient hospital visits ($27,714 vs $5,618, p<.001), doctor office visits ($11,112 vs $2,435, p<.001), and pharmacy costs ($24,753 vs $8,058, p<.001).
CONCLUSIONS: Patients with EGPA had higher annualized HCRU and health insurer payment costs than those with SUA. EGPA placed a higher economic burden on patients and the healthcare system than SUA.
