Projected Health-care System Cost Burden of Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease in Canada

Abstract

Background and aimsMetabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is the most common cause of chronic liver disease worldwide. The current and projected cost of treating individuals with MASLD in Canada remains unknown. Our objective was to calculate the projected liver-specific and total healthcare costs for people living with MASLD in Canada from 2020 to 2050. MethodsThe healthcare usage of a cohort of patients diagnosed with MASLD in Calgary, Alberta was calculated using administrative data. Liver-specific encounters were identified and the average costs per year per patient were calculated. Projected costs were calculated by multiplying the average cost per patient within each health state by the projected prevalence of each health state. ResultsThere were 6,358 patients in the cohort. The annual average liver-specific cost per patient was $7.02 for F0/F1, $35.30 for F2, $60.46 for F3, $72.55 for F4, $933.26 for patients with decompensated cirrhosis, and $10,074.23 for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The projected Canada-wide liver-specific cost was $289.5 million in 2020 and was expected to increase by $143 million by 2050. The average annual total healthcare cost per patient was $397.90 for F0/F1, $781.53 for F2, $2,881.84 for F3, $1,598.82 for F4, $933.26 for patients with decompensated cirrhosis, and $10,074.23 for patients with HCC. Thus, the projected Canada-wide total healthcare cost was $4.20 billion in 2020 and was expected to increase by almost $2 billion by 2050. ConclusionThese estimates underscore the need for a MASLD framework that focuses on both prevention and innovative care models to change the predicted trajectory of healthcare costs.