Maryland Lyme - Cost Per Patient- Dr. Cameron's Testimony

COST PER PATIENT

Here is an article with the most recent figures available.

http://www.jhsph.edu/news/news-releases/2015/lyme-disease-costs-more-than-one-billion-dollars-per-year-to-treat-study-finds.html

Testimony By Dr. Daniel Cameron (NY)

12 November, 2007 11:05:00

"It is possible to estimate the cost of Lyme disease from a 2006 study by Zhang and colleagues based on collaboration between the CDC, University of Maryland, and a managed health care program in Maryland, USA.

The average cost per Lyme disease patient in Maryland Eastern Shore was $1,310 for early Lyme disease and $16,199 for chronic Lyme disease."

The approximate annual economic impact of Lyme disease in Pennsylvania could be ≈$29 million based on average of 3,655 cases reported to the CDC. The approximate annual economic impact of Lyme disease in Pennsylvania is more likely to be ≈$290 million based on an actual average of 36,550 cases every year.

The annual cost of ≈$290 million for Pennsylvania does not include the lifetime costs of chronic Lyme disease for patients described in the Klempner and Fallon trials.

Neither does the annual cost of ≈$290 million for Pennsylvania include the lifetime pain and suffering for chronic Lyme disease patients, families, and loved ones."

Economic Burden Quote by Dr. Dan Cameron

"The economic burden of CLD has yet to be addressed. The mean cost estimate of CLD per patient in the US, of $16,199 per annum in 2002 dollars [8], reflects the toll on human health and cost to society. The annual per-patient cost of CLD is substantially higher than the cost for other common chronic illnesses: $10,911 for fibromyalgia [21], $ 10,716 for rheumatoid arthritis [21], and $13,094 for lupus [22]. Eighty-eight percent of the cost ($14,327) of Lyme disease consisted of indirect medical cost, nonmedical cost, and productivity losses. Cutting medical cost would save, at most, only 12% or $1,872 per annum. In 2002, the annual economic cost of LD in the US, based on the 23,000 cases reported to the CDC that year, was estimated to be $203 million [8]. Considering that the actual number of LD cases is believed to be 10 times higher than the number of cases reported to the CDC, the actual annual cost could be $2 billion [23, 24]."

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2876246/?tool=pubmed

"The economic burden of Lyme disease can be estimated based on a collaboration of Zhang and Meltzer from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Peña and Hopkins, from the University of Maryland, and Wroth and Fix from Care First-Easton Branch (previously Delmarva Health Plan), Easton, Maryland, USA.[9] The average annual cost of acute LD was $1,310 in

2002 dollars. The average annual cost of CLD was $16,199, a cost 12 times higher than cost for early Lyme disease. Eighty-eight percent of the average annual cost was indirect medical costs, nonmedical costs, and productivity."

http://www.senatordonwhite.com/banking/2010/062210/cameron.pdf

Maryland House Bill- HB1443 (2009 Session)

Montgomery County

"Local Fiscal Effect: The bill presumes that a law enforcement officer with Lyme disease contracted the disease in the line of duty. Montgomery County advises that between 2003 and 2008, 31 employees filed claims for workers’ compensation related to Lyme disease. Twenty of these claims resulted in a workers’ compensation award.

The county’s risk management division expects a total payout of nearly $250,000 due to these claims. It is not clear whether or not all of the remaining 11 employees not already compensated would have been covered under the bill. To the extent that more law enforcement officers in the county are diagnosed with Lyme disease, the county’s workers’ compensation liability increases. A similar effect may be felt by other local governments. "

Cost to Montgomery County alone- $250,000.00 for 20 NEW cases of Lyme disease.

HB1443 http://mlis.state.md.us/2009rs/fnotes/bil_0003/hb1443.pdf

Lucy Barnes

AfterTheBite@gmail.com