Managing Osteoarthritis: Helping the Elderly Maintain Function and Mobility. Figure 2. Annual Medicaid/Medicare payments per person-year for gastrointestinal disorders among the elderly, by NSAID use

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Figure 2. Annual Medicaid/Medicare payments per person-year for gastrointestinal disorders among the elderly, by NSAID use

$50.42 was spent by nonusers of NSAID for hospital admissions; $66.43 was spent by occasional users of NSAID for hospital admissions; $105.05 was spent by regular users of NSAID for hospital admissions; $18.39 was spent by nonusers of NSAID for outpatient visits; $26.44 was spent by occasional users of NSAID for outpatient visits; $26.53 was spent by regular users of NSAID for outpatient visits; $64.96 was spent by nonusers of NSAID for prescription medications; $86.76 was spent by occasional users of NSAID for prescription medications; $112.73 was spent by regular users of NSAID for prescription medications; $133.78 was spent by nonusers of NSAID for all medical care; $179.63 was spent by occasional users of NSAID for all medical care; and $244.31 was spent by regular users of NSAID for all medical care.

Note: NSAID is nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug. Occasional users used NSAIDs less than 75 percent of the time and regular users used them at least 75 percent of the time.

Source: Smalley WE, Griffin MR, Fought RL, et al. Excess costs from gastrointestinal disease associated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. J Gen Intern Med 1996;11(8):461-9.

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