Medical Resource Use and Costs of Treating Sickle Cell-related Vaso-occlusive Crisis Episodes: A Retrospective Claims Study

Standardized Management of Sickle Cell Disease Patients and the Effects on Care Utilization and Costs

An individualized management program for patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) was created to reduce health care utilization and cost. The program was implemented to standardize the management of patients with SCD. SCD encounters from January 2010 to December 2020 were reviewed for analysis. Preintervention utilization of inpatient, emergency room, and outpatient settings was compared to postintervention. There were 7114 encounters analyzed. Outpatient encounters increased from 36.5% to 70.9%; inpatient encounters decreased from 38.6% to 20.3%; and emergency department visits decreased from 20.3% to 8.8%. The number of high inpatient utilizers decreased 8.4% and the number of individuals who received any emergency care decreased 11.9%. When comparing average charges per time period, the median charge per encounter decreased by $1838 postintervention compared to preintervention. This newly implemented SCD program demonstrated success through shifting the care of the SCD patient to the outpatient setting rather than the emergency department or inpatient hospitalizations.

Economic Burden of Sickle Cell Disease in Saudi Arabia

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to determine the direct and indirect costs of sickle cell disease (SCD) in Saudi Arabia.

METHODS

Data were collected from 217 participants aged ≥18 years in the eastern region of Saudi Arabia, using a prevalence-based cost-of-illness approach. The Institute for Medical Technology Assessment Medical Consumption Questionnaire and Institute for Medical Technology Assessment Productivity Cost Questionnaire were used to assess costs. A multistage process was used, encompassing patient data collection over 3 months, cost calculation from clinic visits and drug prices, and extrapolation for annual estimates.

RESULTS

The study revealed substantial societal costs of SCD, with an average per-patient cost of SAR181 899 (US$48 506), covering healthcare and productivity losses. Healthcare costs, including hospitalization, informal care, and medication, averaged SAR80 306 (US$21 415). In addition, productivity costs, including unpaid work and presenteeism, averaged SAR101 594 (US$27 092). Obtaining higher levels of education, such as a diploma and BSc degree or higher, has been found to significantly decrease the costs associated with SCD (P = .016, P = .001). Furthermore, when comparing different employment statuses, students (B = -0.301, P = .058) were found to have marginally lower SCD costs, suggesting that their expenses were lower than those of individuals in other employment categories. The predictive model used in this study explained 11.2% of the variation in costs.

CONCLUSION

Our study highlights a significant economic burden of SCD in Saudi Arabia and highlights the need for targeted strategies to alleviate financial challenges and improve patient well-being.

Effects of Medical Cannabis Certification on Hospital Use by Individuals with Sickle Cell Disease

Context: Retrospective study of 36 individuals with sickle cell disease (SCD) certified for medical cannabis. Objective: We sought to examine whether medical cannabis certification was associated with a change in utilization of acute care medical services for patients with SCD. Methods: We identified patients with SCD certified for medical cannabis use between July 2014 and December 2021 using the New York State Prescription Monitoring Program (NYS PMP) and cross-matching to our electronic medical record. We estimated the mean incidences of Emergency Department (ED) visits, hospital admissions, inpatient days, and total acute encounters for SCD-related pain per month pre- and post-medical cannabis certification and used paired t-tests to assess the statistical significance of changes in hospital use. We stratified incidence based on whether patients had received a bone marrow transplant (BMT) at any point before or during the research period, since BMT is potentially an important covariate. Recertification rates and patients' reasons for choosing to recertify were qualitatively investigated through retrospective chart review. Results: The incidence of ED visits, hospital admissions, and total acute encounters per month for SCD-related pain decreased pre- to post-certification (p=0.02; p=0.02; p=0.01). These decreases lost statistical significance after stratifying patients based on BMT history. There was no statistically significant change in the number of days per month patients spent hospitalized in either the primary analysis or after stratification by BMT status. Forty-four percent of patients chose to be recertified. Thirty-six percent of patients cited concerns regarding the cost of medical cannabis. Conclusion: Our study did not show a statistically significant relationship between certification for medical cannabis and hospital use after addressing BMT history as a potentially important covariate. However, we were likely underpowered to detect any existing difference after patient data were stratified due to our small sample size. Regardless, 44% of patients chose to be recertified, indicating a perceived benefit and utility in further investigation of medical cannabis for this population with a larger analytic sample. Patient-reported benefits were improvement of pain and other symptoms, decreased opiate requirements, and decreased side effects compared to opiates.

Defining curative endpoints for sickle cell disease in the era of gene therapy and gene editing

A growing number of gene therapy- and gene editing-based treatments for patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) are entering clinical trials. These treatments, designed to target the underlying cause of SCD, have the potential to provide functional cures, which until now were possible only through allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant. However, as these novel approaches advance from early- to late-stage clinical trials, it is essential to identify physiologically and clinically relevant endpoints that can demonstrate the achievement of a functional cure for SCD. Here, we present an overview of the pathophysiology of SCD and current treatment options, review ongoing SCD clinical trials using gene therapy or gene editing approaches, and identify the most relevant endpoints for demonstrating the attainment of a functional cure for SCD.

Comparing super-utilizers and lower-utilizers among commercial- and Medicare-insured adults with sickle cell disease

ABSTRACT

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a rare but costly condition in the United States. Super-utilizers have been defined as a subset of the population with high health care encounters or expenditures. Although super-utilizers have been described in other disease states, little is known about super-utilizers among adults with SCD. This study aimed to characterize the differences in expenditures, overall health care encounters, and pain episode encounters between super-utilizers (top 10% expenditures) and lower-utilizers with SCD (high, top 10%-24.9%; moderate, 25%-49.9%; and low, bottom 50% expenditures). A retrospective longitudinal cohort of adults with SCD were identified using validated algorithms in MarketScan and Medicare claim databases from 2016 to 2020. Encounters and expenditures were analyzed from inpatient, outpatient, and emergency department settings. Differences in encounters and expenditures between lower-utilizers and super-utilizers were compared using logistic regression. Among super-utilizers, differences in encounters and expenditures were compared according to incidences of pain episode encounters. The study population included 5666 patients with commercial insurance and 8600 with Medicare. Adjusted total annual health care expenditure was 43.46 times higher for super-utilizers than for low-utilizers among commercial-insured and 13.37 times higher in Medicare-insured patients. Among super-utilizers, there were patients with few pain episode encounters who had higher outpatient expenditures than patients with a high number of pain episode encounters. Our findings demonstrate the contribution of expensive outpatient care among SCD super-utilizers, in which analyses of high expenditure have largely focused on short-term care. Future studies are needed to better understand super-utilizers in the SCD population to inform the effective use of preventive interventions and/or curative therapies.

Combining PTCy and ATG for GvHD prophylaxis in non-malignant diseases

Bone marrow transplantation for non-malignant diseases such as aplastic anemia and hemoglobinopathies is a burgeoning clinical area. The goal of these transplants is to correct the hematopoietic defect with as little toxicity as possible. This requires mitigation of transplant-specific toxicities such as graft versus host disease, given this is not needed in non-malignant disorders. This review details current clinical outcomes in the field with a focus on post-transplantation cyclophosphamide and anti-thymoglobulin as intensive graft versus host disease prophylaxis to achieve that goal.

Evaluation of treatment patterns, healthcare resource utilization and cost of illness for sickle cell disease in Ghana: a private medical insurance claims database study

BACKGROUND

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a major public health concern in sub-Saharan Africa, accounting for nearly 75% of the global disease burden. The current analysis evaluated patient characteristics, treatment patterns, healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) and associated costs in patients with SCD based on a Private Medical Insurance Database in Ghana.

METHODS

This retrospective longitudinal cohort study was conducted using an e-claims database from Ghana (01 January 2015 to 31 March 2021). Patients were stratified by age (0 month to < 2 years, ≥ 2 years to ˂6 years, ≥ 6 years to < 12 years, ≥ 12 years to < 16 years; ≥16 years), vaso-occlusive crisis (VOC) (< 1, ≥ 1 to < 3, and ≥ 3 per year), and continuous enrolment. Study outcomes related to patient characteristics, comorbidities, treatment pattern, HCRU were evaluated for pre- and post-index period (index period was between July 2015 to March 2020). Descriptive analysis was used to analyse different study variables.

RESULTS

The study included 2,863 patients (mean age: 20.1 years; Min age: 0; Max age: 83; females 56.1%). Overall, 52.2% (n = 1,495) of SCD patients were ≥ 16 years and 17.0% (n = 486) were in the ≥ 2 to ˂6-years age group. The majority of patients aged ≥ 16 years (62.5%) in the database did not have reported VOC episodes, 35.9% of patients had 1 to 3 VOCs per year and 1.5% had ≥ 3 VOCs per year during the follow-up period. Consultation-based prevalence of SCD was 0.5% [95% confidence interval (CI): 0-1.3%] - 1.4% [CI: 0.6-2.2%]. Malaria, upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) and sepsis were the common complications of SCD. Analgesics were the most frequently prescribed medications followed by anti-infectives, hematinics, and antimalarials. Hydroxyurea, a routine standard of care for SCD was under-utilized. SCD patients had median cost incurred for consultation/hospital services of $11.3 (Interquartile range [IQR] $6.2 - $27.2). For patients with VOC, maximum median cost was incurred for medications ($10.9 [IQR $5.0-$32.6]). Overall median healthcare cost was highest for individuals with ≥ 3 VOCs per year during the follow-up period ($166.8 [IQR $70.3-$223.5]).

CONCLUSION

In this retrospective private insurance claims database analysis, SCD imposes a significant healthcare burden, especially in patients with VOC. There is a need for reimbursed treatment options that could reduce the long-term burden associated with SCD and VOC.

Economic and Clinical Burden of Managing Sickle Cell Disease with Recurrent Vaso-Occlusive Crises in the United States

INTRODUCTION

The aim of this study was to describe the clinical complications, treatment use, healthcare resource utilization (HCRU), and costs among patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) with recurrent vaso-occlusive crises (VOCs) in the US.

METHODS

Merative MarketScan Databases were used to identify patients with SCD with recurrent VOCs from March 1, 2010, to March 1, 2019. Inclusion criteria were ≥ 1 inpatient or  ≥ 2 outpatient claims for SCD and ≥ 2 VOCs per year in any 2 consecutive years after the first qualifying SCD diagnosis. Individuals without SCD in these databases were used as matched controls. Patients were followed for ≥ 12 months, from their second VOC in the 2nd year (index date) to the earliest of inpatient death, end of continuous enrollment in medical/pharmacy benefits, or March 1, 2020. Outcomes were assessed during follow-up.

RESULTS

In total, 3420 patients with SCD with recurrent VOCs and 16,722 matched controls were identified. Patients with SCD with recurrent VOCs had a mean of 5.0 VOCs (standard deviation [SD] = 6.0), 2.7 inpatient admissions (SD 2.9), and 5.0 emergency department visits (SD 8.0) per patient per year during follow-up. Compared to matched controls, patients with SCD with recurrent VOCs incurred higher annual ($67,282 vs. $4134) and lifetime ($3.8 million vs. $229,000 over 50 years) healthcare costs.

CONCLUSION

Patients with SCD with recurrent VOCs experience substantial clinical and economic burden driven by inpatient costs and frequent VOCs. There is a major unmet need for treatments that alleviate or eliminate clinical complications, including VOCs, and reduce healthcare costs in this patient population.

Efficacy and safety of pharmacological interventions for managing sickle cell disease complications in children and adolescents: Systematic review with network meta-analysis

This study aimed to synthesize the evidence on the effects of disease-modifying agents for managing sickle cell disease (SCD) in children and adolescents by means of a systematic review with network meta-analyses, surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA) and stochastic multicriteria acceptability analyses (SMAA) (CRD42022328471). Eightteen randomized controlled trials (hydroxyurea [n = 7], l-arginine [n = 3], antiplatelets [n = 2], immunotherapy/monoclonal antibodies [n = 2], sulfates [n = 2], docosahexaenoic acid [n = 1], niprisan [n = 1]) were analyzed. SUCRA and SMAA demonstrated that hydroxyurea at higher doses (30 mg/kg/day) or at fixed doses (20 mg/kg/day) and immunotherapy/monoclonal antibodies are more effective for preventing vaso-occlusive crisis (i.e., lower probabilities of incidence of this event; 14, 25, and 30%, respectively), acute chest syndrome (probabilities ranging from 8 to 30%), and needing of transfusions (11-31%), while l-arginine (100-200 mg/kg) and placebo were more prone to these events. Therapies were overall considered safe; however, antiplatelets and sulfates may lead to more severe adverse events. Although the evidence was graded as insufficient and weak, hydroxyurea remains the standard of care for this population, especially if a maximum tolerated dose schedule is considered.

Real-world characteristics of patients with sickle cell disease who initiated crizanlizumab therapy

OBJECTIVE

To provide real-word evidence of patients with SCD initiating crizanlizumab, their use of other SCD treatments, and crizanlizumab treatment patterns.

METHODS

Using IQVIA's US-based, Longitudinal Patient-Centric Pharmacy and Medical Claims Databases patients with a diagnosis of SCD between November 1, 2018, and April 30, 2021, and ≥1 claim for crizanlizumab (date of first claim = index date) between November 1, 2019, and January 31, 2021 who were ≥16 years of age, and had ≥12 months of pre-index data were selected for analysis. Two cohorts were identified based on available follow-up time (3- and 6-month cohorts). Patient characteristics were reported along with pre- and post-index SCD treatments and crizanlizumab treatment patterns (e.g. total doses received, gap-days between doses, days on therapy, discontinuation, and restarts).

RESULTS

540 patients met the base inclusion criteria (345 in the 3-month cohort and 262 in the 6-month cohort. Most patients (64%) were female with a mean (SD) age of 35 (12) years overall. Concomitant hydroxyurea use was observed in 19-39% of patients, while concomitant L-glutamine use was observed for 4-8% of patients. 85% of 3-month cohort patients received at least two doses of crizanlizumab, while 66% of the 6-month cohort received at least 4 doses of crizanlizumab. The median number of gap days between doses was 1 or 2.

CONCLUSIONS

66% of patients who receive crizanlizumab receive at least 4 doses within 6-months. The low median number of gap days suggests high adherence.

Complementary and alternative medicine for children with sickle cell disease: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is a popular alternative to opioid and other analgesics in sickle cell disease (SCD). We review the effectiveness, prevalence, and factors associated with CAM use in the pediatric SCD population.

METHODS

The review protocol was created based on Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. A literature search was conducted in MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library, PubMed, and Web of Science.

RESULTS

Twenty-four studies were examined. The prevalence of CAM use in pediatric patients with SCD ranged from 36 to 84.5%. Common inpatient CAM interventions were yoga, virtual reality, and acupuncture, which decreased pain scale scores. Outpatient CAMs were consisted of cognitive behavioral therapy, massage therapy, and guided-imagery, which increased pain tolerability and decreased pain scale scores.

CONCLUSIONS

CAM modalities can decrease pain scale scores. However, the impact of specific CAM modalities on emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and school absences were inconclusive.

Treatment patterns and burden of complications associated with sickle cell disease: A US retrospective claims analysis

Complications associated with sickle cell disease (SCD) that are highly impactful for patients but until recently have been less understood include priapism, nephropathy, and neurologic injury. We conducted a retrospective study using US administrative claims data from July 01, 2013 through March 31, 2020 to analyze incidence of these complications, SCD treatment patterns, and healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) and costs among 2524 pediatric and adult patients with SCD (mean [SD] age 43.4 [22.4] years). The most common treatments during follow-up were short-acting opioids (54.0% of patients), red blood cell transfusion (15.9%), and hydroxyurea (11.0%). SCD complications occurred frequently; in the overall population, the highest follow-up incidences per 1000 person-years were for acute kidney injury (53.1), chronic kidney disease (40.6), and stroke (39.0). Complications occurred across all age groups but increased in frequency with age; notably, acute kidney injury was 69.7 times more frequent among ages 65+ than ages 0-15 (p < 0.001). Follow-up per-patient-per-month HCRU also increased with age; however, all-cause healthcare costs were similarly high for all age groups and were driven primarily by inpatient stays. Patients with SCD across the age spectrum have a high burden of complications with the use of current treatments, suggesting unmet needs for treatment management.

Healthcare utilization and the quality of life of children and adolescents with sickle cell disease

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE

Youth diagnosed with sickle cell disease (SCD) are at increased risk of poor health-related quality of life (HRQOL) due to the complexities associated with this disease. The literature notes that predictors such as pain and poor mental health are associated with increased healthcare access; however, the connection between healthcare use and their overall well-being has been understudied. This study investigates whether healthcare utilization predicts the HRQOL in youth with SCD.

DESIGN/METHODS

Patients completed the Pediatric Quality of Life (PedsQL) 3.0 SCD module, whereas the researcher conducted a retrospective chart review to gather patient characteristics such as emergency room (ER) and hospitalization occurrences over the past 12 months.

RESULTS

The study consisted of 150 pediatric patients with SCD, ages 8-17 years old, and their parents. Patients with ≥ 4 ER visits and hospitalizations reported worse HRQOL scores than their respective counterparts. Additionally, a higher frequency of ER visits (P = 0.05) and hospitalizations (P = 0.005) predicted lower HRQOL scores. Age (P = 0.04) also emerged as a significant predictor for both regression models, as increased healthcare access among older patients with SCD was associated with poorer HRQOL.

CONCLUSION

This study found that as youth with SCD require ER treatment and/or hospital admission, they are at increased risk for lower HRQOL, specifically as they get older. Findings suggest that attention should be paid to patients who require more frequent healthcare intervention. Improvement in outpatient care of pediatric patients with SCD may help to mitigate ER and inpatient use.

Medical and Non-medical Costs of Sickle Cell Disease and Treatments from a US Perspective: A Systematic Review and Landscape Analysis

BACKGROUND

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a complex genetic disorder that manifests in infancy and progresses throughout life in the form of acute and chronic complications. As the upfront costs of potentially curative, genetic therapies will likely be high, an assessment and comprehensive characterization of the medical and non-medical cost burden will inform future decision making.

OBJECTIVE

We sought to systematically summarize the existing literature surrounding SCD medical and non-medical costs.

METHODS

We searched MEDLINE and EMBASE (2008-2020) and identified US-based studies that detailed medical or non-medical costs. Eligible studies provided empirical estimates about any aspect of cost or SCD individuals of all ages and their caregivers. Study quality was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale, and costs were adjusted to 2019 US$.

RESULTS

Search queries returned 479 studies, with 342 from medical burden searches and 137 from non-medical burden searches, respectively. Herein, we report the results of the 40 studies that contained relevant cost information: 39 detailed medical costs and 1 detailed non-medical costs. Costs were higher for SCD patients when compared with non-SCD individuals (cost difference range: $6636-$63,436 annually). The highest medical cost component for SCD patients was inpatient ($11,978-$59,851 annually), followed by outpatient and then pharmacy. No studies characterized the cost burden throughout the lifetime disease trajectory of an SCD individual, and no studies captured caregiver or productivity costs.

CONCLUSION

Our results reveal an incomplete characterization of medical and non-medical costs within SCD. A deeper understanding of the medical and non-medical cost burden requires completion of additional studies that capture the burden across the patient's lifetime, in addition to expression of the impact of existing and emergent health technologies on disease trajectory.

Economic burden of sickle cell disease in Brazil

Background

Sickle cell disease (SCD) may cause several impacts to patients and the whole society. About 4% of the population has the sickle cell trait in Brazil, and 60,000 to 100,000 have SCD. However, despite recognizing the significant burden of disease, little is known about SCD costs.

Objective

To estimate SCD societal costs based on disease burden modelling, under Brazilian societal perspective.

Methods

A disease burden model was built considering the societal perspective and a one-year time horizon, including direct medical and indirect costs (morbidity and mortality). The sum of life lost and disability years was considered to estimate disability-adjusted life years (DALYs). Data from a public database (DATASUS) and the prevalence obtained from literature or medical experts were used to define complications prevalence and duration. Costs were defined using data from the Brazilian public healthcare system table of procedures and medications (SIGTAP) and the human capital method.

Results

Annual SCD cost was 413,639,180 USD. Indirect cost accounted for the majority of burden (70.1% of the total; 290,158,365 USD vs 123,480,816 USD). Standard of care and chronic complications were the main source of direct costs among adults, while acute conditions were the main source among children. Vaso-occlusive crisis represented the complication with the highest total cost per year in both populations, 11,400,410 USD among adults and 11,510,960 USD among children.

Conclusions

SCD management may impose an important economic burden on Brazilian society that may reach more than 400 million USD per year.

Plasma-Derived Hemopexin as a Candidate Therapeutic Agent for Acute Vaso-Occlusion in Sickle Cell Disease: Preclinical Evidence

People living with sickle cell disease (SCD) face intermittent acute pain episodes due to vaso-occlusion primarily treated palliatively with opioids. Hemolysis of sickle erythrocytes promotes release of heme, which activates inflammatory cell adhesion proteins on endothelial cells and circulating cells, promoting vaso-occlusion. In this study, plasma-derived hemopexin inhibited heme-mediated cellular externalization of P-selectin and von Willebrand factor, and expression of IL-8, VCAM-1, and heme oxygenase-1 in cultured endothelial cells in a dose-responsive manner. In the Townes SCD mouse model, intravenous injection of free hemoglobin induced vascular stasis (vaso-occlusion) in nearly 40% of subcutaneous blood vessels visualized in a dorsal skin-fold chamber. Hemopexin administered intravenously prevented or relieved stasis in a dose-dependent manner. Hemopexin showed parallel activity in relieving vascular stasis induced by hypoxia-reoxygenation. Repeated IV administration of hemopexin was well tolerated in rats and non-human primates with no adverse findings that could be attributed to human hemopexin. Hemopexin had a half-life in wild-type mice, rats, and non-human primates of 80–102 h, whereas a reduced half-life of hemopexin in Townes SCD mice was observed due to ongoing hemolysis. These data have led to a Phase 1 clinical trial of hemopexin in adults with SCD, which is currently ongoing.

Cost analysis of acute care resource utilization among individuals with sickle cell disease in a middle-income country

BACKGROUND

The costs associated with the treatment of sickle cell disease (SCD) are understudied in low and middle-income countries (LMIC). We evaluated the cost of treating SCD-related acute complications and the potential cost-savings of hydroxyurea in a specialized hematology center in Brazil.

METHODS

The costs (US dollars) of emergency department (ED) and hospitalizations from SCD-related complications between 01.01.2018 and 06.30.2018 were ascertained using absorption and micro-costing approaches. The reasons for acute hospital visits were grouped as: 1) vaso-occlusive (VOC) pain, 2) infection, 3) anemia exacerbation, and 4) chronic organ damage complications. Hydroxyurea adherence was estimated by medication possession ratio (MPR) during the study period.

RESULTS

In total, 1144 patients, median age 17 years (range 0-70), 903 (78.9%) with HbSS/HbSβ0-thalassemia, 441 (38.5%) prescribed hydroxyurea, visited the ED, of whom 381 (33%) were admitted. VOC accounted for 64% of all ED visits and 60% of all admissions. Anemia exacerbation was the most expensive reason for ED visit ($321.87/visit), while chronic organ damage carried the highest admission cost ($2176.40/visit). Compared with other genotypes, individuals with HbSS/HbSβ0-thalassemia were admitted more often (79% versus 21%, p < 0.0001), and their admission costs were higher ($1677.18 versus $1224.47/visit, p = 0.0001). Antibiotics and analgesics accounted for 43% and 42% of the total ED costs, respectively, while housing accounted for 46% of the total admission costs. Costs of ED visits not resulting in admissions were lower among HbSS/HbSβ0-thalassemia individuals with hydroxyurea MPR ≥65% compared with visits by patients with MPR <65% ($98.16/visit versus $182.46/visit, p = 0.0007). No difference in admission costs were observed relative to hydroxyurea use.

DISCUSSION

In a LMIC hematology-specialized center, VOCs accounted for most acute visits from patients with SCD, but costs were highest due to anemia exacerbation. Analgesics, antibiotics, and housing drove most expenses. Hydroxyurea may reduce ED costs among individuals with HbSS/HbSβ0-thalassemia but is dependent on adherence level.

The Use of Cost-Effectiveness Analysis in Sickle Cell Disease: A Critical Review of the Literature

Novel interventions for sickle cell disease (SCD) bring hope to patients, yet concern about the associated economic costs exists. Cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) uses standardized methods, with robust underpinnings in health economics, to estimate the value of these interventions compared with usual care. However, because of the complexity and lifetime trajectory of SCD, CEAs are challenging to conduct. The objectives of this rapid review were to summarize the main characteristics, components, and results of published CEAs of existing interventions for SCD, identify research gaps, and provide directions for future analyses. We identified records through searches of bibliographic databases, from reference lists of relevant review articles, and through consultation with experts. A total of 13 CEAs met our inclusion criteria and were qualitatively synthesized. These evaluated blood transfusions (n = 2), hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (n = 1), pharmaceuticals (n = 2), hypothetical cell or genetic therapy (n = 1), screening programs (n = 4), and interventions for SCD treatment complications (n = 3). A limited number of potential SCD and treatment complications were evaluated. No study adopted a societal perspective in the base case, six studies examined lifetime cost-effectiveness, seven studies employed a Markov or discrete-event simulation model, and eight studies used an outcome metric that captured both quality and length of life. To better compare the value of emerging and current therapies, future CEAs should adopt a societal perspective incorporating both medical and nonmedical costs, comprehensively model SCD complexity using robust health economic simulation models over the patient's entire lifespan, and capture the intervention's effect on both survival and quality of life.