Agency for Healthcare Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Research and Quality 

STATISTICAL BRIEF #222 

September 2008 

Arthritis: Use and Expenditures among 

U.S. Adult Noninstitutionalized 

Population, 2005 

Anita Soni, PhD 

Highlights 

 In 2005, approximately 21 

million adults or 9.5 

percent of the U.S. adult 

population reported either 

visiting a physician or 

obtaining a prescription 

drug to treat arthritis. 

 Females were more likely 

to have arthritis than males 

(11.9 versus 7.1 percent). 

 Medical spending to treat 

arthritis totaled almost $32 

billion in 2005. 

 More than one-third (35.6 

percent) of the arthritis 

related expenditures were 

on ambulatory care. 

 More than half (51.1 

percent) of arthritis related 

prescription medicines 

expenditures were paid by 

out-of-pocket. 

Introduction 

Arthritis is a group of conditions involving damage to the joints of the 

body. It is derived from the Greek plural word ‘arthritides’, which 

comprises ‘arthro’ (joint) and ‘itis’ (disease, inflammation); together 

they describe joint inflammation. 

This Statistical Brief presents estimates based on the Household 

Component of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS-HC) on 

the use of and expenditures for ambulatory care and prescribed 

medications to treat arthritis among the U.S. civilian 

noninstitutionalized adult, ages 18 and older population. This Brief 

also analyzes the sources of payments for care and treatment of 

arthritis. 

All differences between estimates noted in the text are statistically 

significant at the 0.05 level or better. 

Findings 

Number of reported cases for arthritis, by sex, and race 

In 2005, 9.5 percent of the U.S. adult population or 21 million adults reported being bothered by or visiting 

a physician or obtaining a prescription drug to treat arthritis (figure 1). More females reported 

experiencing arthritis than males (11.9 versus 7.1 percent). 

One in every ten (10.5 percent) non-Hispanic white adults reported having arthritis compared to 5.9 

percent of Hispanics and 4.3 percent of non-Hispanic Asians (figure 2). 

Total and mean per person with expense health care expenditures on arthritis, type of service 

Expenditures for those with an arthritis related expense averaged $1,513 per person in 2005. 

Expenditures for ambulatory visits averaged $705 and expenditures on prescription medicines averaged 

$508 (figure 3). 

Total and out-of-pocket expenditures on arthritis 

Expenses for the treatment of arthritis totaled $32 billion in 2005. More than one-third (35.6 percent) of 

that total was spent on ambulatory care. About one-fifth (21.3 percent) was spent on prescription 

medications (figure 4). 

More than half (51.1 percent) of arthritis related prescription medication expenses were paid for out of 

pocket, compared to only 13 percent for ambulatory expenditures (figure 5). 

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Distribution of average annual health care expenditures for adults reporting arthritis expenditures, by type 

of service. 

Adults with arthritis were more likely to have expenses for ambulatory care than other types of services. 

More than three-fourths (76.3 percent) of adults with arthritis related expenditures had expenses for 

ambulatory care. Almost two-thirds (63.4 percent) had prescription medicine expenditures (figure 6). 

Data Source 

The estimates shown in this Statistical Brief are based on data from the MEPS 2005 Full Year 

Consolidated File (HC-097), Medical Condition File (HC-096), Office-Based Medical Provider Visit File 

(HC-94G), Outpatient Department Visits File (HC-094F), Hospital In-Patient Stays File (HC-094D), Home 

Health File (094H), Emergency Room Visit File (HC-094E), and Prescribed Medicine File (HC-094A). 

Definitions 

Arthritis 

This brief analyzes individuals with arthritis reported as a condition bothering the person and arthritis 

reported in connection with reported health care utilization (e.g., a person who reported purchasing a drug 

was asked what condition the drug was intended to treat) or reported disability days. The conditions 

reported by the respondent were recorded by the interviewer as verbatim text, which was then coded by 

professional coders to fully specified ICD-9-CM codes. These codes were further aggregated into 

clinically meaningful categories (according to the AHRQ Clinical Classification software system (CCS)) 

that groups similar conditions. Conditions with a CCS code of 201-204 were classified as arthritis. 

Expenditures 

Expenditures in MEPS are defined as payments from all sources for hospital inpatient care, ambulatory 

care provided in offices and hospital outpatient departments, care provided in emergency departments, 

as well as prescribed medicine purchases reported by respondents in the MEPS-HC. Sources include 

direct payments from individuals, private insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, Workers’ Compensation, and 

miscellaneous other sources. These expenditures do not include dental, other medical expenses or ‘overthe-counter’ medications used for treatment of arthritis. 

Racial and ethnic classifications 

Classification by race and ethnicity was based on information reported for each family member. 

Respondents were asked if each family member was Hispanic or Latino. Respondents were also asked 

which race or races best described each family member. Race categories included white, black/African 

American, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, and other. 

Based on these questions, sample persons were classified into the following race/ethnicity categories: 

Hispanic, white non-Hispanic single race, black non-Hispanic single race, Asian non-Hispanic single race, 

and other (Hawaiian/Pacific Islander non-Hispanic, American Indian/Alaska Native non-Hispanic, and 

multiple races non-Hispanic). 

About MEPS-HC 

The MEPS-HC is a nationally representative longitudinal survey that collects detailed information on 

health care utilization and expenditures, health insurance, and health status, as well as a wide variety of 

social, demographic, and economic characteristics for the civilian noninstitutionalized population. It is 

cosponsored by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the National Center for Health 

Statistics. 

For more information about MEPS, call the MEPS information coordinator at AHRQ (301-427-1656) or 

visit the MEPS Web site at http://www.meps.ahrq.gov/. 

References 

For a detailed description of the MEPS-HC survey design, sample design and methods used to minimize 

sources of nonsampling errors, see the following publications: 

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Cohen, J. Design and Methods of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Household Component. MEPS 

Methodology Report No. 1. AHCPR Pub. No. 97-0026. Rockville, MD: Agency for Health Care Policy and 

Research, 1997. http://www.meps.ahrq.gov/mepsweb/data files/publications/mr1/mr1.shtml 

Cohen, S. Sample Design of the 1996 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Household Component. MEPS 

Methodology Report No. 2. AHCPR Pub. No. 97-0027. Rockville, MD: Agency for Health Care Policy and 

Research, 1997. http://www.meps.ahrq.gov/mepsweb/data files/publications/mr2/mr2.shtml 

Cohen, S. Design Strategies and Innovations in the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. Medical Care, 

July 2003: 41(7) Supplement: III-5–III-12. 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Arthritis Information and Data. U.S. Department of Health 

and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: 2004. Available at: 

http://www.cdc.gov/arthritis/arthritis/key.htm 

Understanding Arthritis: http://www.everydayhealth.com/arthritis/understanding/index.aspx 

Arthritis: http://www.medicinenet.com/arthritis/article.htm 

* * * 

AHRQ welcomes questions and comments from readers of this publication who are interested in 

obtaining more information about access, cost, use, financing, and quality of health care in the United 

States. We also invite you to tell us how you are using this Statistical Brief and other MEPS data and 

tools and to share suggestions on how MEPS products might be enhanced to further meet your needs. 

Please e-mail us at mepspd@ahrq.gov or send a letter to the address below: 

Steven B. Cohen, PhD, Director 

Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends 

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality 

540 Gaither Road 

Rockville, MD 20850 

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Source: Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends, AHRQ, Household Component of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, 

2005 

9.5 

7.1 

11.9 

0 

5 

10 

15 

20 

Total Male Female 

Percentage reporting arthritis 

Percentage of people

reporting arthritis 

Figure 1. Percentage of adults, ages 18 and older, 

reporting arthritis, by sex, 2005 

Source: Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends, AHRQ, Household Component of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, 

2005 

9.5 

5.9 

10.5 9.7 

4.3 

13.1 

0 

5 

10 

15 

20 

Total Hispanic White nonHispanic Black nonHispanic Asian nonHispanic Other 

Percentage reporting arthritis 

Percentage of people

reporting Arthritis 

Figure 2. Percentage of adults, ages 18 and older 

reporting arthritis, by race/ethnicity, 2005 

Statistical Brief #222: Arthritis: Use and Expenditures among U.S. Adult Noninstitutionalized 

Population, 2005 

4 
 

Source: Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends, AHRQ, Household Component of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, 

2005 

$1,513 

$508 

$705 

0 

500 

1000 

1500 

2000 

Total Ambulatory care visits Prescription 

medications 

Mean expenditures 

Figure 3. Mean expenditures on arthritis per 

person with expense for given service type, 

ages 18 and older, 2005 

Dollars 

Source: Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends, AHRQ, Household Component of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, 

2005 

Figure 4. Percentage distribution of expenditures 

by adults ages 18 and older, on arthritis, 

by type of service, 2005 

Total $32 Billion 

30.8 

0.7 

11.6 21.3 

35.6 

Ambulatory In-Patient ER Prescriptions HomeHealth 

Statistical Brief #222: Arthritis: Use and Expenditures among U.S. Adult Noninstitutionalized 

Population, 2005 

5 
Source: Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends, AHRQ, Household Component of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, 

2005 

17.5 13.0 

4.1 

13.7 

51.1 

5.8 

0 

20 

40 

60 

80 

100 

Total Ambulatory Hospital 

stays 

ER PMED Home visits 

Expenditures on Arthritis 

Percentage 

Figure 5. Percentage of total arthritis expenditures 

from out of pocket by adults ages 18 and 

older, by type of service, 2005 

Source: Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends, AHRQ, Household Component of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, 

2005 

76.3 

2.6 2.3 

63.4 

4.7 

0 

10 

20 

30 

40 

50 

60 

70 

80 

90 

100 

Ambulatory Hospital stays ER PMED Home visits 

Percentage of adults 

Percentage of adults reporting 

arthritis expenditures 

Figure 6. Percentage of adults, ages 18 and older 

reporting arthritis expenditures by type of service, 2005 

Statistical Brief #222: Arthritis: Use and Expenditures among U.S. Adult Noninstitutionalized 

Population, 2005 

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