Variation in Prevalence and Burden of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease by State and Insurance Type in the United States.

Abstract

Introduction: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) poses a substantial burden on individuals and the U.S. health care system. Up-to-date information describing individuals with COPD and their acute hospital-based health care utilization at the state level and by insurance type is lacking.

Methods: Individuals with COPD aged 40 and older were identified from large databases of Medicare fee-for-service, Medicaid, and commercial health insurance claims, and counts were extrapolated to the U.S. health insurance market. Demographics and outcome metrics were quantified between January 1 and December 31, 2021, and summarized by state and insurance type.

Results: Approximately 11.7 million insured individuals had COPD in 2021. The largest share were covered by Medicare (79.4%), followed by commercial insurance (11.3%) and Medicaid (9.3%). COPD prevalence varied among states, ranging from 44 (Utah) to 143 (West Virginia) per 1000 insured individuals. Nationwide, annual all-cause mortality for individuals with COPD covered by Medicare (11.5%) was more than double that of Medicaid (5.1%). There were 1.8 million COPD-related acute inpatient hospitalizations nationwide, with the largest share among individuals covered by Medicare (86.4%), followed by Medicaid (9.0%) and commercial insurance (4.6%). COPD-related hospitalization rates also varied among states, ranging from 97 (Idaho) to 200 (District of Columbia) per 1000 individuals with COPD. There were 1.4 million COPD-related emergency department/observation encounters not resulting in acute inpatient admissions nationwide.

Conclusion: There is substantial state and payer variation in COPD prevalence and burden. Understanding this variation provides valuable insights into populations with unmet needs that can inform public health strategies to address gaps.