The financial burden after liver transplantation is significant among commercially insured adults: A large US National Cohort

Abstract

Liver transplantation (LT) is lifesaving for patients with cirrhosis; however, the resultant financial burden to patients has not been well characterized. We aimed to provide a nationally representative portrayal of patient financial burden after LT. Adult recipients of LT from 2006 to 2021 were identified using IQVIA PharMetrics® Plus for Academics—a large nationally representative claims database of commercially insured Americans. Patient financial liability (ie, what patients owe) was estimated using the difference between allowed and paid costs for adjudicated medical/pharmacy claims. Descriptive statistics were provided stratified by the financial liability group within 1 year after LT. Multivariable logistic regression modeling identified factors associated with high/extreme liability adjusting for covariates. Potential indirect costs of post-LT care were estimated based on hourly wages lost for care. Among 1412 recipients of LT, financial liability was heterogeneous—~3% had no liability and 21% had extreme liability > $10K for 1-year post-LT care; most (69%) paid between $1 and 10K, with 48% having liability >$5K. Factors associated with >$5K liability included older age, insurance/enrollment type, US region, history of HCC, and simultaneous liver-kidney transplant (for liability >$10K). Medication costs comprised ~30% of outpatient financial liability. Potential indirect costs from wages lost were $2,201–$6,073 per person, depending on an hourly wage. In a large national cohort of commercially insured recipients of LT, financial liability was highly variable across sociodemographic and clinical characteristics; nearly 1 out of 2 recipients of LT owed >$5K for 1 year of post-LT care. Transplant programs should help patients anticipate potential costs and identify vulnerable populations who would benefit from enhanced financial counseling.