Introduction: We explore trends in U.S. inpatient costs of care over a 10-year period.
Methods: We compare myasthenia gravis (MG) with multiple sclerosis (MS) and overall U.S. hospital admissions using the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Nationwide Inpatient Sample database for 2003-2013.
Results: Total costs of MG inpatient care rose 13-fold from 2003 to 2013. This was accounted for by a greater than sixfold increase in discharges and a greater than twofold increase in cost per discharge. The < 17 and >85 years age groups experienced the greatest increases in discharges. Medicare and Medicaid use increased. Regional variations in cost were apparent. There were greater rises in the Midwestern and Southern United States, which is dissimilar to MS and all hospital admissions.
Discussion: There was a dramatic and disproportionate rise in the number of MG discharges, most likely because of changes in practice patterns. Muscle Nerve 56: 1114-1118, 2017.
Keywords: healthcare costs; hospitalizations; multiple sclerosis; myasthenia gravis; practice patterns.
© 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.