Abstract Body: Introduction: Heart failure is a public health burden that currently affects over 6 million individuals in the United States and is estimated to continue to increase over the coming decade. Despite improvements in clinical outcomes, heart failure is associated with increased morbidity and mortality that place a significant financial strain on individuals and the healthcare system. However, little is known about the geographic variation in healthcare expenditures for heart failure.
Methods: Data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) from 2012-2022 were used to estimate the national and regional (Northeast, Midwest, South, West) heart failure-attributable healthcare expenditures. A two-part model, adjusted for demographics, comorbidities, and time, was applied to estimate the total healthcare expenditures for individuals with heart failure, as well as service-specific expenditures, including inpatient stays, outpatient care, emergency room visits, physician office visits, home care visits, and prescription medication.
Results: In the final sample, 1,180 adults (0.80%) were identified as having heart failure. After adjusting for demographics and clinical comorbidities, the estimated incremental cost of heart failure in adults was $7,586 ± 1571 per person. There was significant regional variation in total heart failure-related expenditures: the Midwest exhibited the highest total incremental costs at $10,309 ± 2,974, followed by the Northeast ($7,303 ± 1,530), the South ($6,467 ± 18.92), and the West ($6,371 ± 3,388), which had the lowest expenditures. Similar differences in incremental costs by geographic regions throughout the nation were exhibited in service-specific expenditures.
Conclusion: Heart failure related healthcare expenditures varied throughout the nation, with the Midwest region experiencing higher expenditures. This variation highlights the need for target interventions in these specific states. Understanding the geographic differences in overall and service-specific expenditures will have important implications for resource allocation and healthcare policy, with the ultimate goal of reducing the financial burden on affected individuals.