To understand healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) and expenditures in the hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) Commercial/Medicare and Medicaid populations, before and after the first HS diagnosis (index date). METHODS:  Retrospective analysis of healthcare claims from the MarketScan Commercial and Medicaid Multi-State Databases identified patients aged ≥12 years old with ≥3 inpatient (IP) or outpatient (OP) medical claims with a HS diagnosis between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2014. All-cause costs included any HCRU. HS-specific costs were identified by the presence of a HS diagnosis, boils, fistula, abscesses, or a HS-specific procedure on the claim. HCRU included IP, OP, and pharmacy utilization. RESULTS:

A total of 16,489 patients, 11,325 Commercial/Medicare and 5,164 Medicaid patients, were identified. All-cause IP services increased between the pre and post-index period for the Commercial/Medicare (10.0% to 13.1%) and Medicaid (17.2% to 19.0%) cohorts. The proportion of patients with HS-specific OP services increased in the post-index period for both Commercial/Medicare (41.2% increase) and Medicaid (34.3% increase) patients. Prior to the index date, OP pharmacy utilization was already above 90% for both cohorts.

After index, total all-cause costs increased in the Commercial/Medicare ($10,646 to $15,525) and Medicaid ($9,703 to $13,167) cohorts. HS-specific OP costs more than tripled in both cohorts (Commercial/Medicare: $609 to $2,514, Medicaid: $404 to $1,354), and total HS-specific costs increased in the Commercial/Medicare ($1,349 to $4,428) and the Medicaid ($859 to $2,662) cohorts. CONCLUSIONS:  For this debilitating disease with significant unmet need, all-cause and HS-specific utilization and healthcare costs substantially increased following diagnosis of HS; the majority of costs were attributable to OP services, while the cost increases were driven by inpatient services.