As childhood diabetes rates rise, so do treatment costs: 5 things to know

Childhood diabetes rates and the associated cost of care for the disease are on the rise, according to Kaiser Health News.

In a study conducted by the Health Care Cost Institute based in Washington, D.C., researchers analyzed data from insurance claims submitted from 2012 to 2014 to study healthcare expenses and utilization trends among individuals younger than 65 who had diabetes and employer-sponsored coverage plans.

Here are five things to know about the study:

1. As of 2012, approximately 208,000 individuals under age 20 have diabetes. In the past 30 years, the total number of diabetes cases for all age groups has quadrupled and childhood type II diabetes, associated with obesity, has been on the rise in recent years.
   
   
2. Individuals 18 and younger with diabetes accumulated $2,173 per capita out-of-pocket healthcare costs in 2014, a rate almost five times higher than kids without diabetes.
   
   
3. Prescription drugs accounted for the largest portion of annual out-of-pocket costs for children with diabetes, peaking at $751 per child in 2014.
   
   
4. Kids with diabetes visited the emergency room 2.5 times and used acute patient services five times more often than kids without diabetes.
   
   
5. A year's worth of care for a child with diabetes amounted to $17,380 on average.
   
   

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