OBJECTIVES: To describe the 2-year disease-related direct healthcare costs of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) patients, in managed care, prior to initiating golimumab (baseline). METHODS: The IMS LifeLink™ Health Plan Claims database was utilized to identify patients who had/were: index golimumab pharmacy claim started April 24, 2009-June 30, 2010; aged ≥18 years at index; ≥1 PsA ICD-9 diagnosis code (696.0); and 24 months pre- and  ≥ 6 months post-index continuous enrollment. Total disease-related direct healthcare costs included medical (inpatient, outpatient) and pharmacy (biologic and non-biologic treatment) costs. Disease-related allowable healthcare costs were calculated from outpatient and inpatient claims with an ICD-9 diagnosis code for PsA (696.0) or rheumatoid arthritis (RA-714.xx). Pharmacy costs were calculated from allowed costs for biologic and non-biologic treatments used in PsA, RA, or psoriasis. RESULTS: A total of 211 golimumab patients with PsA (n=180 with pre-index biologic experience) were analyzed; mean±SD age was 50±10; 61.1% female. Concomitant diagnosis codes for RA or psoriasis were found in 39.8% and 51.2% of all PsA patients, respectively. Total mean±SD pre-index PsA-related costs were $3,569±$9,231. Mean PsA-related outpatient medical costs represented 92.0% of total PsA-related costs. Among the 114 patients with a comorbid RA diagnosis code, overall mean pre-index total RA-related costs were $2186. Mean disease-related pharmacy costs for the 2-year period prior to golimumab totaled $28,041. Based on the disease-related outpatient, inpatient, and pharmacy costs, the 2-year direct mean per patient disease-related health care costs in PsA was $32,791. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, annual managed care per patient direct PsA healthcare costs were $16,369. This new economic burden of illness estimate may further aid decision makers in assessing the cost-effectiveness and budgetary impact of PsA therapies, including biologics. This estimate, however, should be considered in the context of incremental improvements in clinical outcomes associated with biologic treatments compared with older PsA therapies.