Silver Book Fact
AFib, an economic burden
AFib is a major economic burden for the U.S. with at least $6.65 billion in healthcare costs attributable to the disease each year. This estimate may be low. One study estimates that Medicare alone pays $15.7 billion per year to treat newly diagnosed AFib patients.
Lee W, Lamas G, Balu S, Spalding J, et al. Direct Treatment Cost of Atrial Fibrillation in the Elderly American Population: A Medicare perspective. J Med Econ. 2008; 11(2). http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19450086
Coyne KS, Paramore C, Grandy S, Mercader M, et al. Assessing the Direct Costs of Treating Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation in the United States. Value in Health. 2006; 9(5). http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16961553
