Of 155 medical conditions, people personally spent $1.2 trillion on the top 20 alone in 2013, according to a new analysis published in JAMA.
In their investigation "US Spending on Personal Health Care and Public Health 1996-2013," study authors collected and combined 183 sources of data to estimate spending for 155 conditions. They found the top 20 conditions accounted for an estimated 57.6 percent of personal healthcare spending in 2013.
Below is a ranking of the 20 top conditions, with spending amounts reflecting 2015 dollars. Each entry also contains where the majority of those dollars went — authors broke down the portion spent on ambulatory care, inpatient care, pharmaceuticals, emergency care or nursing facility care. Because cancer was disaggregated into 29 separate conditions, none were among the top 20 with the highest spending.
1. Diabetes — $101.4 billion; majority of spending on pharmaceuticals (57.6 percent)
2. Ischemic heart disease — $88.1 billion; majority of spending on inpatient care (56.5 percent)
3. Lower back and neck pain — $87.6 billion; majority of spending on ambulatory care (60.5 percent)
4. Hypertension treatment — $83.9 billion; majority of spending on ambulatory care (45.8 percent)
5. Falls — $76.3 billion; majority of spending on inpatient care (34.3 percent)
6. Depressive disorders — $71.1 billion; majority of spending on ambulatory care (53.1 percent)
7. Oral disorders (oral surgeries and procedures including crowns, extractions and dentures) — $66.4 billion (minor portion of spend on pharma or in ambulatory, inpatient, emergency or nursing facility settings)
8. Sense organ diseases (cataracts, vision correction, adult hearing loss and macular degeneration) — $59 billion; majority of spending on ambulatory care (85.4 percent)
9. Skin and subcutaneous diseases (cellulitis, sebaceous cysts, acne and eczema) — $55.7 billion; majority of spending on ambulatory care (52 percent)
10. Pregnancy and postpartum care (normal pregnancy, including cesarean delivery) — $55.6 billion; majority of spending on inpatient care (50.5 percent)
11. Urinary diseases and male infertility (urinary tract infections and kidney cysts) — $54.9 billion; majority of spending on ambulatory care (37 percent)
12. COPD — $53.8 billion; majority of spending on inpatient care (34.8 percent)
13. Hyperlipidemia treatment — $51.8 billion; majority of spending on pharmaceuticals (78.5 percent)
14. Dental well care (general exams, cleanings, orthodontia, X-rays) — $48.7 billion; majority of spending N/A
15. Osteoarthritis — $47.9 billion; majority of spending on inpatient care (63.8 percent)
16. Other musculoskeletal disorders (joint, muscular and connective tissue disorders) — $44.9 billion; majority of spending on ambulatory care (49.4 percent)
17. Cerebrovascular disease — $43.8 billion; majority of spending on inpatient care (54 percent)
18. Other neurological disorders (pain syndromes and muscular dystrophy) — $43.7 billion; majority of spending on ambulatory care (50.9 percent)
19. Other digestive diseases (esophagus conditions and diverticulitis of the colon) — $38.8 billion; majority of spending on ambulatory care (39 percent)
20. Lower respiratory tract infections — $37.1 billion; majority of spending on inpatient care (48.6 percent)