Learning Objectives: Identify and describe methodologies used to calculate costs of smoking. Compare the economic costs calculated from each approach and list their limitations.
Abstract: Smoking is the leading cause of premature death in the United States, accounting for more than an estimated $100 billion in excess medical expenditures and lost productivity. Sophisticated models are used to estimate these figures and have evolved over time.
The panelists will discuss: · A review of the current state of knowledge of the cost of smoking will be discussed. Annual direct cost estimates will be compared in terms of the percentage of health care expenditures they represent along with estimates of the indirect costs of lost productivity due to illness, disability, and premature death. Studies of lifetime costs of smoking will be presented and the costs relative to smokers versus non-smokers costs compared. · Both the CDC and states use the Smoking-Attributable Mortality, Morbidity, and Economic Costs (SAMMEC) software to estimate the disease impact of smoking for the United States and individual states. This discussion will focus on: 1) the methods and data used by SAMMEC to estimate annual smoking-attributable deaths, YPLLs, direct medical expenditures, and productivity costs, 2) the validity of these methods and estimates, and 3) the application of the software to various population subgroups. · The changes that have been made in the specifications of smoking attributable cost models over the course of the tobacco trials will be discussed. In addition, how the organization of the provision of health care services impacts smoking attributable costs will be explored with the presentation of empirical research that examines the costs associated with diminished health status.
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