Targeted therapies may help reduce cost burden linked to pediatric liver transplantation

Amongst children who require liver transplantation, including those with Alagille syndrome, progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis, and biliary atresia there is substantial healthcare resource utilization and cost burden regardless of the type of insurance the patient has, according to a study.

In this study, data from 53 commercially-insured children and 100 Medicaid-insured children who underwent a liver transplant were analyzed over 1.8 years to assess the economic burden.

Commercially-insured children:
-Age at baseline 6.9 years
-Annualized means of 65.3 medical visits over the study period
-Mean inpatient stays of 37.2 days per year (including stay during transplant)
-Medical costs averaged $512,124
-Pharmacy costs averaged $26,998

Medicaid-insured children:
-Age at baseline 5.7 years
-Annualized means of 52.8.3 medical visits over the study period
-Mean inpatient stays of 31.6 days per year (including stay during transplant)
-Medical costs averaged $211,863
– Pharmacy costs averaged $15,704

“These costs remained substantial throughout the first-year post-transplant,” the authors noted.

Reference
Miloh T, Goldstein A, Howard R, et al. Costs of pediatric liver transplantation among commercially- and medicaid-insured patients with cholestasis in the United States. Liver Transpl. 2023;doi: 10.1097/LVT.0000000000000082. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 36747344.

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