Estimated Psoriasis Cost More Than $100 Billion

The total estimated cost of psoriasis was between $112 billion and $135 billion for the year 2013, according to findings published in JAMA Dermatology.

Researchers from the University of California Davis and University of Colorado Denver reviewed studies on psoriasis in order to estimate the direct, indirect, intangible, and comorbidity costs of adults with psoriases and adjusted their findings to reflect 2013 dollars.

By determining the US economic burden of psoriasis, the researchers wrote, the foundation for research, advocacy, and educational efforts can be defined.

The investigators searched PubMed and Medline databases for relevant studies published between January 1, 2008 and September 30, 2013. The team estimated the number of US patients with psoriasis in 2013 in order to determine the 2013 psoriasis cost burden.

Absenteeism or going to work while sick were categorized as indirect costs; intangible costs were considered to eliminate the negative effects of psoriasis in physical and mental health.

Of 100 articles identified, the researchers focused their analysiss on 22 for their systematic review. A breakdown of the cost of psoriasis is as follows:

- Direct cost ranged from $51.7 billion to $63.2 billion

- Indirect cost ranged from $23.9 billion to $35.5 billion

- Medical comorbidities cost was estimated at $36.4 billion

- Intangible cost data was limited

“The direct health care costs are significantly greater for patients with psoriasis than for the general population and are also higher for patients with increasing psoriasis disease severity,” the authors wrote. “Defining the economic burden of psoriasis from a societal perspective is the foundation for innovating and providing access to cost-effective therapies that will result in improved patient outcomes.”

The researchers discovered that a patient with psoriasis would pay a lifetime cost of $11,498 for relief of physical symptoms and emotional health.