Title: |
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Total Medical and Prescription Expenditures by Current Asthma Status and Whether Asthma Daily Preventive Medicine Is Being Taken, United States, 2006 |
Description: |
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Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease in which the airways of the lungs become inflamed and constricted. Data from the 2006 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey show that in 2006, an estimated 7.1 percent of the U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized population (approximately 21.2 million in the U.S.) had 'current' asthma. Current asthma is defined as having been told by a doctor or other health professional that you have asthma, and having had an asthma episode during the past 12 months or reporting to still have asthma. Of those with current asthma, 31.6 percent are taking asthma daily preventive medicines daily or almost every day. Average total medical expenditures and average total prescription expenditures are higher for persons with current asthma than for persons without current asthma and are higher for those with current asthma who take daily preventive medicines. |
Author(s): |
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Frances M. Chevarley, PhD |
Agency: |
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Rockville (MD): Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality |