Science in the Triangle

The 15 percent of American adults who report a disability account for about 27 percent of U.S. adult health-care spending, according to a recently released study by RTI International and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Americans who are disabled because of a traumatic brain injury, stroke, diabetes, arthritis or a vision impairment are generally in poorer health. They use health care services more often and have more chronic conditions. But they also encounter bigger obstacles to obtain health care, which lands them in the emergency room more frequently.

The cost? About $398 billion in 2006, according to the study.

Northeastern states had the highest costs per disabled adult, states in the western part of the country the lowest. In North Carolina, the cost per disabled adult was about $12,213, which was above the national average. (Read the whole report here.)

The majority of the cost was shouldered by taxpayers through Medicaid and Medicare.

To reduce the spending, the study suggested to decrease hospitalizations and premature entry into nursing homes, mainly through more preventive care such as smoking cessation and mammograms, by interventions such as nutritional improvement programs by improving access to medical care.

“When looking for ways to improve health and control costs, the role of disability in care management should be addressed,” said Wayne Anderson, senior health policy analyst at RTI, in a prepared statement.