Patients with rheumatoid arthritis spend some $3,000 more than unaffected people per year on medical expenses. The study is the first comprehensive look at the economic and humanistic burden of rheumatoid arthritis. Credit Srijita Chattopadhyay/Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services

A University of Mississippi-led comprehensive study of a disorder affecting 4.27 million Americans nationwide reveals just how significant its burdens are on patients’ financial well-being and quality of life.    

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis, an inflammatory disorder that causes joint pain and reduces mobility, spend an average of $3,383 more per year on healthcare expenses compared to those without the disorder, according to a study published in ACR Open Rheumatology, the journal of the American College of Rheumatology.

“This chronic disease requires ongoing medication,” stated Yinan Huang, assistant professor of pharmacy administration and research assistant professor in the Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences. Huang is the lead author of the study.

“Patients face higher out-of-pocket costs for prescription medications compared to the general population, and their mental and physical health-related quality of life is usually lower than that of the general population. All these factors played a role in motivating us to proceed with this project.”

Huang, along with co-authors Jieni Li, a research assistant professor at the University of Houston, and Sandeep Krishna Agarwal, an associate professor of rheumatology at the Baylor College of Medicine, analyzed data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey from 2018 to 2020. Their aim was to understand the challenges and needs of those suffering from the disorder.

About 40% of rheumatoid arthritis patients’ medical expenses were prescription medication, highlighting how steep the cost of managing this illness can be, Li said.  

“It’s a shock for both of us to see that RA patients spend so much on their prescriptions,” Li said. “We all knew that there are new RA treatments like biologics and that those are expensive for the patient, but not to this extent.” 

Huang said a better understanding of the disease can help develop more support systems, policies, and more nuanced care for the population.

“We want to provide solid data to the healthcare communities about the overall comprehensive burden facing this vulnerable group of patients,” she said. “From the financial perspective, I would like to see more focus on the prescription medication-related costs.  

“Some intervention needs to be taken to increase access to treatment because of the costs.” 

Rheumatoid arthritis affects over 18 million people worldwide, with about 70% of those patients being women and 55% being over the age of 55, according to the World Health Organization. This systemic autoimmune disease most commonly affects the joints, but it may also damage the skin, lungs, heart, and eyes.

“If not treated properly, it can result in disability,” she stated. “Arthritis, including RA, is a leading cause of disability in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control.”

Besides health care and medication costs, patients with rheumatoid arthritis are also more likely to need daily support to go about their lives. This could be mobility devices such as wheelchairs or walkers, in-home help or other accommodations.  

“From a quality-of-life, humanistic perspective, we all know the burden is huge on these patients,” Li said. “They suffer from limited mobility as well as pain, and so they are more likely to seek these supports. 

“When looking at treatments, we should also consider this factor in the future. What supports (does) this patient have?” 

To treat rheumatoid arthritis better, health care workers must first understand the disease, the researchers said. The next step of their study will include comparing the severity of rheumatoid arthritis pain among patients to determine who is most affected by the disease.  

“These days, people are discussing individualized, personalized care,” Li said. “From the study’s objective, we want to provide more for RA patients.”