OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to identify the demographic and clinical characteristics of schizophrenia patients who experience high schizophrenia-related direct medical costs. METHODS: Patients with a diagnosis for schizophrenic disorder (ICD-9-CM code 295) and other non-organic psychoses (ICD-9-CM code 298) were identified from the 2005-2008 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), a national representative annual survey of non-institutionalized US residents. Schizophrenia-related direct medical costs were calculated for the following utilization categories: inpatient hospitalizations, prescription medications, and outpatient, office-based physician, emergency department, and home healthcare visits. Based on the distribution of their total costs, patients were classified into high-cost (expenditures≥$16,000) and low-cost (expenditures