In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated the total economic cost of traumatic brain injury (TBI)—including direct and indirect medical expenses—at $76.5 billion in 2010¹.

In Australia, data are more limited. A national report estimated that in the 2004–05 financial year, direct hospital costs for all TBI reached $184 million². When broader costs were considered, the total economic burden of TBI was valued at $8.6 billion, comprising:

• $3.7 billion from moderate TBI and $4.8 billion from severe TBI
• $3.7 billion in financial costs and $4.9 billion in burden-of-disease costs
• Distribution of costs borne primarily by individuals (64.9%), followed by State Government (19.1%) and Federal Government (11.2%)

Lifetime costs per case were estimated at $2.5 million for moderate TBI and $4.8 million for severe TBI across Australia³.

Importantly, these figures exclude mild TBI (mTBI), which accounts for 80–90% of all presentations. For example, there were 4,745 hospitalisations of people aged 15 years and over for sport-related concussion, generating hospital treatment costs of $17.9 million. Hospitalisation rates rose by 60.5% over nine years, a trend attributed partly to increased sports participation but more significantly to heightened awareness and recognition of concussion⁴.

1. Finkelstein E, Corso P, Miller T. The incidence and economic burden of injuries in the United States. New York: Oxford University Press; 2006. (CDC estimate adapted, 2010 dollars).
2. Access Economics. The economic cost of spinal cord injury and traumatic brain injury in Australia. Report for the Victorian Neurotrauma Initiative; 2009.
3. Access Economics. The economic cost of spinal cord injury and traumatic brain injury in Australia. Canberra: Access Economics Pty Ltd; 2009.
4. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). Hospitalisations due to sports injury, Australia 2002–03 to 2010–11. Injury research and statistics series no. 58. Cat. no. INJCAT 172. Canberra: AIHW; 2014.