OBJECTIVES: Prior economic evidence on the cost of care for patients with obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (oHCM) have been limited to short periods of follow-up. Therefore, we analyzed long-term healthcare resource utilization (HRU) and costs using Optum’s integrated medical and pharmacy claims and electronic medical record data.

METHODS: Retrospective cohort study of adults (≥18 years) diagnosed with oHCM (January 2013 to December 2021). Patients had ≥2 claims (first was index date) with a diagnosis code for oHCM (ICD-9 and-10) at least 30 days apart, 6-months pre index and 5-years follow-up. HCM-related cumulative HRU and costs (CPI adjusted to 2022) were reported as mean [SD], including medical (ambulatory: office visit, outpatient [OP] visits; emergency room [ER] visit; inpatient admissions (IA); length of stay [LOS]; other medical costs) and pharmacy.

RESULTS: Among 5,129 patients with oHCM (52% female; mean age 63.9 ± 14.3 years; 77.6% non-Hispanic White; 40% Medicare), 4,669 patients (91.0%) had an ambulatory visit (81.6% office visit, 64.6% OP visits) and 95.9% had a prescription fill. Over a quarter of patients (29.2%) had an ER visit and 43.5% of patients had an IA. Cumulative 5-year mean ambulatory visits were 15.3 [18.7] (office visits: 9.2 [10.9], OP visits: 6.3 [13.1]), ER visits 1.0 [3.2], IA 0.9 [1.6], and LOS 10.0 [39.6] days. This HRU translated to a cumulative 5-year total mean cost (medical + pharmacy) of $67,531 [$114,705]. Medical costs included total mean ambulatory $13,324 [$30,743] (office visit: $1,735 [$2,253]; OP visit: $11,589 [$29,926]), ER visits $945 [$4,708], IA $44,781 [$99,431], and other medical costs $7,258 [$21,716]. Pharmacy cost over 5-years was $1,222 [$3,127].

CONCLUSIONS: Patients with oHCM experience ongoing accumulation of significant HRU and costs over an extended period due to the chronic nature of the disease. There is a need for innovative treatment options to decrease HRU and to help improve patient outcomes.