The number of Lyme disease cases in the U.S. has risen nearly 200 percent in the past 20 years — a major concern considering the disease is more severe and costly than previously believed, according to a study published in journal PLoS One.
Researchers set out to examine Lyme disease's impact on healthcare costs, the relationship between Lyme disease and post-treatment Lyme disease symptoms and PTLDS' impact on healthcare costs. They did so by examining more than 52,000 medical claims of individuals treated for Lyme disease between 2006 and 2010.
The researchers found Lyme disease diagnoses were associated with $2,968 higher total healthcare costs and 87 percent more outpatient visits over one year than patients not treated for the bacterial illness.
Lyme disease was also associated with 4.7 times greater odds of having a PTLDS-related diagnosis than individuals with no evidence of Lyme disease exposure.
One or more PTLDS-related diagnoses were associated with $3,798 higher total healthcare costs and 66 percent more outpatient visits over one year, compared to those with no PTLDS-related diagnoses.
Considering there are between 240,000 and 440,000 cases of Lyme disease reported annually in the U.S., the total direct medical costs attributable to the disease and PTLDS may be anywhere between $712 million and $1.3 billion per year.
According to study authors, the public health policy implications of the findings are particularly significant given the number of cases in endemic regions and the potential for the disease to spread further.
"Increased awareness of the potential complications associated with Lyme disease is crucial in the primary care and consultative settings to avoid misdiagnosis and unnecessary diagnostic testing," wrote study authors. "Public health and medical guidelines need to move beyond the debate over whether 'chronic Lyme disease' exists, as, regardless of one's perspective, these patients do demonstrate increased health care costs and utilization."
More articles on Lyme disease:
New York State Legislature Reviews Long-Term Lyme Disease Treatment Legislation
Lyme Disease Tests Common, Costly: Study