Lifetime cost for type 2 diabetes mellitus in Singapore.

Abstract

The mean annual direct medical cost of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in Singapore has been found to be SGD 2034 using the prevalence-based approach, but the lifetime direct medical cost of T2DM in Singapore remains largely unknown. The aim of the present study was to determine the lifetime direct medical cost attributable to T2DM and provide estimates of potential savings if T2DM can be prevented or delayed. The incidence-based approach was used for the cost-of-illness analysis. Yearly medical expenses were obtained from a regional health system database in Singapore to estimate the lifetime medical cost of T2DM patients. Then, the lifetime medical cost of non-T2DM subjects was predicted using a regression model. From the database, gender- and age-specific annual survival rates of T2DM and non-T2DM subjects were obtained and survival-adjusted yearly expenses over the estimated remaining life span were added to obtain lifetime medical costs. The difference between T2DM and non-T2DM subjects was attributed to excess direct medical costs of T2DM. The excess lifetime medical expenses for T2DM patients were SGD 132 506, 108 589, 83 326 and 70 110 when the age of T2DM diagnosis was 40, 50, 60, and 65 years, respectively. Even though T2DM patients have a lower life expectancy, T2DM is associated with substantially higher lifetime medical costs. Delaying the onset of T2DM, especially in the young, may lead to lower lifetime medical expenses. If prevention costs can be kept sufficiently low, effective T2DM prevention efforts would likely lead to a reduction in long-term medical costs.