AHRQ drew conclusion from a variety of sources, including the MEPS 2008 Full Year Consolidated Data File. Key findings from the AHRQ report include the following:
• In 2008, the top 10 costliest medical conditions (in different order) were the same for men and women: heart disease, cancer, mental disorders, trauma-related disorders, osteoarthritis, asthma, hypertension, diabetes, back problems and hyperlipidemia.
• The highest expense was treatment of heart disease in both men ($47.3 billion) and women ($43.6 billion).
• The highest per person mean expenditures were for treatment of cancer in both men ($4,873) and women ($4,484).
Read the AHRQ report on the costliest medical conditions (pdf).
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