The direct and indirect cost burden of clinically significant and symptomatic uterine fibroids

OBJECTIVE: To estimate direct medical costs and indirect (productivity related) for women age 25 to 54 who had clinically significant and symptomatic uterine fibroids (UF). METHODS: We compared direct medical expenditures among 30,659 women who had clinically significant and symptomatic UF to expenditures among an equal number of matched controls who did not. We also compared indirect costs for a sub-sample of 910 employed women in each group. Regression analyses controlled for demographic and casemix factors. RESULTS: Mean 12-month direct medical costs for women with UF were $11,720 versus $3257 for controls, and mean 12-month indirect costs for women with UF were $11,752 versus $8083 for controls. Differences were statistically significant (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: UF is a costly disorder and merits thought as interventions are considered to improve women's health and productivity.