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Estimating the costs of medicalization

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Listed:
  • Conrad, Peter
  • Mackie, Thomas
  • Mehrotra, Ateev

Abstract

Medicalization is the process by which non-medical problems become defined and treated as medical problems, usually as illnesses or disorders. There has been growing concern with the possibility that medicalization is driving increased health care costs. In this paper we estimate the medical spending in the U.S. of identified medicalized conditions at approximately $77 billion in 2005, 3.9% of total domestic expenditures on health care. This estimate is based on the direct costs associated with twelve medicalized conditions. Although due to data limitations this estimate does not include all medicalized conditions, it can inform future debates about health care spending and medicalization.

Suggested Citation

  • Conrad, Peter & Mackie, Thomas & Mehrotra, Ateev, 2010. "Estimating the costs of medicalization," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 70(12), pages 1943-1947, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:70:y:2010:i:12:p:1943-1947
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    Cited by:

    1. Apesoa-Varano, Ester Carolina & Barker, Judith C. & Hinton, Ladson, 2015. "Shards of sorrow: Older men's accounts of their depression experience," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 124(C), pages 1-8.
    2. Bell, Ann V., 2016. "The margins of medicalization: Diversity and context through the case of infertility," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 156(C), pages 39-46.
    3. Bell, Susan E. & Figert, Anne E., 2012. "Medicalization and pharmaceuticalization at the intersections: Looking backward, sideways and forward," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 75(5), pages 775-783.
    4. Timmermans, Stefan & Tietbohl, Caroline, 2018. "Fifty years of sociological leadership at Social Science and Medicine," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 196(C), pages 209-215.
    5. Bröer, Christian & Besseling, Broos, 2017. "Sadness or depression: Making sense of low mood and the medicalization of everyday life," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 183(C), pages 28-36.

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