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The Estimated Prevalence and Cost of Diabetes in West Virginia
| Medical cost of diabetes: | $695,000,000 |
| Indirect Cost: | $303,600,000 |
| Total Cost: | $998,600,000 |
The total cost of diabetes for people in West Virginia in 2006 is estimated at $998,600,000. This estimate includes excess medical costs of $695,000,000 attributed to diabetes, and lost productivity valued at $303,600,000.
National Summary
The national cost of diabetes in the U.S. in 2007 exceeds $174 billion. This estimate includes $116 billion in excess medical expenditures attributed to diabetes, as well as $58 billion in reduced national productivity. People with diagnosed diabetes, on average, have medical expenditures that are approximately 2.3 times higher than the expenditures would be in the absence of diabetes. Approximately $1 in $10 health care dollars is attributed to diabetes. Indirect costs include increased factors such as absenteeism, reduced productivity, and lost productive capacity due to early mortality.
Data sources and methods
The American Diabetes Association report "Economic Costs of Diabetes in the U.S. in 2007" describes the methods used to determine the national cost estimates. For the state and congressional district estimates, national prevalence rates for diabetes are adjusted to the state or congressional district level according to the diabetes risk factors of age, gender, and race/ethnicity, using U.S. Census data for the area. The cost estimates are also adjusted for variations in health care costs among states according to data from the Council for Community and Economic Research (available here). Cost estimates for the congressional district level rely on the state health care cost adjustment, and are not adjusted for the potentially significant health care cost variations that may exist within a state in different congressional districts (e.g., urban vs. rural populations).
The study includes diabetes prevalence information as a key component of calculating diabetes costs. The study's estimates are based on the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) administered by the CDC. The methodology used in preparing the study may differ somewhat from other published sources of diabetes prevalence. Minor differences may exist between these prevalence figures and others available from CDC that are based on other health studies or that are based on NHIS but reflect different time periods or Census estimates.
