Medical Costs of Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Pulmonary Disease, South Korea, 2015-2019.
Emerg Infect Dis
; 30(9): 1841-1849, 2024 Sep.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-39173659
ABSTRACT
Nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease (NTM-PD) prevalence is a rising public health concern. We assessed the long-term healthcare systems perspective of costs incurred by 147 NTM-PD patients at a tertiary hospital in South Korea. Median cumulative total medical cost in managing NTM-PD patients was US $5,044 (interquartile range US $3,586-$9,680) over 49.7 months (interquartile range 33.0-68.2 months) of follow-up. The major cost drivers were diagnostic testing and medication, accounting for 59.6% of total costs. Higher costs were associated with hospitalization for Mycobacterium abscessus infection and pulmonary comorbidities. Of the total medical care costs, 50.2% were patient co-payments resulting from limited national health insurance coverage. As South Korea faces significant problems of poverty during old age and increasing NTM-PD prevalence, the financial and socio-economic burden of NTM-PD may become a major public health concern that should be considered with regard to adequate strategies for NTM-PD patients.
Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Health Care Costs
/
Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous
Limits:
Aged
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
/
Middle aged
Country/Region as subject:
Asia
Language:
En
Journal:
Emerg Infect Dis
Journal subject:
DOENCAS TRANSMISSIVEIS
Year:
2024
Type:
Article