PHP75 - Whether The Treatment Expenditures Or The Pharmaceutical Expenditures Of Social Security Institution (SSI) Have A Higher Increase Rate Between 2005 And 2011 In Turkey?

Abstract

Turkey has accomplished remarkable improvements in terms of health status particularly after the implementation of the Health Transformation Program (HTP). Within the scope of HTP, the number of people covered by public health insurance, the number of hospital visits and also the number of physician consultation per capita has increased and disparities of benefit package between different sick funds have been unified. As a result, total health care expenditures have increased at a large extent. The aim of this study is to evaluate the rates of increases in the expenditures of Social Security Institution (SSI) in terms of pharmaceutical and treatment expenditures between 2005 and 2011. Databases of SSI, IMS, Ministry of Health and AIFD have been searched for the period of 2005 to 2011. Rates of increase in the health expenditures, number of people covered by public health insurance, hospital visits and the number of physician consultation per capita have been evaluated and compared. Between 2005 and 2011, coverage of public health insurance has risen from 89 to 96, physician consultation per capita has increased 63.8%, total health expenditures of SSI have increased 18% with a 23% increase in treatment expenditures and 12% increase in pharmaceutical expenditures. As a result of increase in the coverage of public health insurance and the number of hospital visits, treatment expenditures have risen at a large extent. But on the other hand, pharmaceutical expenditures’ increase rate was not at the same level. The main reasons are the global budget policy and the increases at the mandatory institutional discounts, which are being used as a major cost containment tool. Despite the success in the containment of pharmaceutical expenditures, any major cost containment policy for treatment expenditures haven’t been implicated, and in addition treatment expenditures are continuing to rise.