There are widespread and consistent professional recommendations for most types of AORC that involve increasing self-management of the disease through education, physical activity, and achieving a healthy weight, but little progress is being made.
Several data limitations exist for addressing AORC in the future. First, on October 1, 2015, ICD-10-CM will be required for use in clinical records; it is already in use for death records. The current National Arthritis Data Workgroup definition of AORC uses ICD-9-CM codes. Due to changes in conditions for the new codes, a direct translation cannot be made. This means a new definition of AORC or some similar concept will be needed for analyses using ICD-based data after that date.
For total earnings losses, mean per-person earnings losses attributed to rheumatoid arthritis averaged $13,886 per year in 2008 to 2011. Aggregate earnings losses for the estimated 900,000 persons in the workforce with rheumatoid arthritis in the United States averaged $12.3 billion per year in 2008 to 2011.
For total earnings losses, mean per-person earnings losses attributed to osteoarthritis and allied disorders averaged $7,548 per year in 2008 to 2011. Aggregate earnings losses for the 16.1 million people in the workforce with osteoarthritis and allied disorders in the United States averaged $122 billion in each of the years 2008 to 2011.
Indirect costs as used in this report reflects estimates of earnings losses for people with a work history who are unable to work because of a medical condition. It does not reflect supplemental measures such as reduced productivity, worker replacement, or early retirement due to medical conditions.
Indirect costs are not estimated for the broad category of arthritis and joint pain.
For total medical expenditures, mean per-person expenditures for rheumatoid arthritis averaged $17,010 for the years 2008 to 2011. Aggregate medical expenditures for the estimated 1.04 million people with rheumatoid arthritis in the United States averaged $17.8 billion in each of the years 2008 to 2011.
