Work Absences and Expenditures for Employees With Autoimmune Inflammatory Diseases

Objective: Economic burden was compared for employees with autoimmune inflammatory diseases (AutoIDs) who received anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) α agents, those who did not, and those with no AutoID. Methods: Retrospective claims data analysis (2000-2006). Propensity analysis created two groups: (1) adult AutoID patients with anti-TNFα therapy (AutoID/anti-TNFα) matched to those with no anti-TNFα therapy (AutoID/non-anti-TNFα), and (2) non-AutoID patients (control) matched to all AutoID patients (AutoID). Indirect, direct, and total expenditures after controlling for various covariates were compared using regression analysis. Results: Total direct and total expenditures were, respectively, $13,187 and $13,373 higher for AutoID/anti-TNFα group (n = 689) versus AutoID/non-anti-TNFα group (n = 2699). Indirect expenditures were not statistically different between the groups. AutoID- (n = 12,612) and control-group (n = 48,895) differences showed similar trends. Conclusions: These results provide useful information to employers about the cost burden associated with AutoIDs.