How Much Does the United States Spend on Respiratory Diseases?

Respiratory conditions are associated with significant morbidity and mortality costs in the United States and worldwide. Allergic rhinitis, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lower respiratory tract infections, interstitial lung disease, tuberculosis, and other respiratory diseases cause substantial health, quality of life, and economic burdens to patients, payers, and society. The articles substantially contribute to a relatively small body of literature on the cost of respiratory illness by comprehensively analyzing spending for respiratory diseases. To knowledge for the first time in the literature, the authors used DEX data to provide a detailed analysis of expenditures on respiratory diseases, how expenditures varied by demographic group, how they changed over time, and how various factors drive changes. This study's results suggest developing and implementing effective programs and policies to improve the quality of care for respiratory diseases while reducing costs.