OBJECTIVES: In the United States, Colorectal Cancer (CRC) is one of the most common cancers with a significant and growing economic strain. This study compared healthcare expenditures for CRC and other malignancies using national survey data.

METHODS: A retrospective cross-sectional study was performed using the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) from 2013 to 2020. A comparative evaluation of healthcare expenditures was conducted on adults (≥18 years) diagnosed with CRC [Clinical Classification Codes (CCCODEX) = "014" and "015"; International Classification of Disease (ICD) = "153","154"; "C18" and "C20" and Clinical Classification Refined Code = “NEO015”] and other malignancies [CCCODEX: between "011"-"013", "016"-"044"]. All healthcare expenditures were adjusted to 2020 US dollars. Descriptive weighted analyses were performed to compare the healthcare expenditures of patients with CRC and other cancers. The two-part model involving probit and generalized linear models with log link function was used to assess the marginal healthcare expenditures for CRC.

RESULTS: There were 0.59 million (95%CI: 0.50-0.68) individuals diagnosed with CRC from 2013 to 2020. Most CRC patients were male (54.38%), ≥ 65 years old (57.40%), non-Hispanic white (77.76%), and with private insurance (56.63%). The unadjusted total healthcare expenditures for CRC and other cancers were $25,763(95% CI: $ 18,007.53-$ 33,518.66) and $17,586(95%CI: $16,482.53 -$18,690.04), respectively. The two-part model showed the marginal total healthcare expenditure in individuals with CRC was $5,024.10(95% CI:$-1516.28-$11,564.48) more than those with other malignancies. Additionally, the adjusted inpatient expenditure for CRC individuals was $1,219.87(95% CI: $246.05-$2,193.70) more than those with other malignancies and accounted for 35.70% of total healthcare expenditure in CRC patients.

CONCLUSIONS: CRC places a considerable healthcare burden with most expenditures attributed to inpatient care. These findings can aid in understanding the cost drivers for CRC to optimize care and decrease the healthcare burden.