Medical expenditures for disability and disabling comorbidity.

Disability and disabling comorbidity place a disproportionately large burden on the health care system. National Medical Care Utilization and Expenditure Survey data show that medical care expenditures for noninstitutionalized persons amounted to 154 billion (691 per capita) in 1980. The medical expenditure per capita for people reporting two or more disabling chronic conditions (2456) was 5 times the amount incurred by those with no limiting conditions (486) and more than 1. 5 times the amount incurred by those with one limiting condition.