Healthcare Utilization and Cost Burden of Porphyria in Commercially Insured Adults in the United States

Objectives The healthcare burden associated with porphyria remains unevaluated despite the associated increased risks of morbidity and mortality. We aimed to assess the healthcare utilization and cost burdens of porphyria in the United States (US) using real-world claims data. Methods We performed a case–control analysis of adults in the Truven Health MarketScan® Commercial Claims database (2010–2015). Using propensity scores, 2788 porphyria cases were matched 1:1 to porphyria-free controls with chronic liver disease. Total and service-specific parameters were quantified for the 12 months before porphyria diagnosis versus the 12 months after diagnosis and over the 12 months following a randomly selected date for controls. Wilcoxon signed rank tests and McNemar tests were used to examine incremental differences in burden between cases and controls. Adjusted multivariable generalized linear regression models were used to compare healthcare burdens for cases versus controls. Results Relative to the 12 months before porphyria diagnosis, the following 12 months had more claims per patient (35.94 vs 39.67; p