Medical Expenses Analysis of Middle-Aged and Elderly Patients with Diabetes Mellitus in China

Abstract

<i>Objective</i> Diabetes is one of the most serious and most critical health problems facing the world in the 21st century. The number of patients is increasing year by year, and it has a huge impact and burden on individuals and families, society and the country. This study estimates the medical expenses of diabetes in China and provides a basis for implementing diabetes prevention and treatment strategies. <i>Methods</i> Using the 2015 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), the propensity score matching (PSM) was used to solve the sample selection bias to study the impact of diabetes on residents' outpatient, hospitalization and total direct health expenditure. At the same time, attribution analysis is used to measure the part of the health expenditure of Chinese diabetic patients attributable to diabetes. <i>Results</i> Diabetes significantly increased the health expenditure of residents. The outpatient, hospitalization and total direct health expenditures of Chinese diabetic patients were significantly higher than those of non-diabetic patients. Among them, the difference in hospitalization expenses was the largest; 62.69% of the total expenditures of Chinese diabetic patients were attributed to diabetes. <i>Conclusion</i> Diabetes medical expenses are high, and diabetes-related treatment costs are high. We should expand the support and awareness of diabetes-related medical insurance compensation policies, strengthen early diabetes intervention and health education, and improve drug compensation policies to effectively reduce diabetes medical expenses.