PMS14 ANNUAL HEALTH INSURANCE TREATMENT COST OF INJURIES TO THE WRIST AND HAND BASED ON ROUTINELY COLLECTED REAL-WORLD FINANCING DATA

Abstract

Injuries to the wrist and hand cause a significant burden. Our aim was to determine the annual health insurance treatment cost of injuries to the wrist and hand in Hungary. Data were derived from the financial database of the Hungarian National Health Insurance Fund Administration (NHIFA), for the year 2018. Data analysed included annual health insurance costs, patient numbers and cost distribution calculated for age groups and sex. The following cost categories were included into the study: general practice care, home care, in- and outpatient care, medical imaging, laboratory diagnostics, pharmaceuticals and medical aids. Patients with injuries to the wrist and hand were identified with the following code of the International Classification of Diseases 10threvision: S60-69. In 2018, the Hungarian NHIFA spent 3.706 billion Hungarian Forints (HUF) on the treatment of patients with injuries to the wrist and hand [13.7 million American Dollars (USD), or 11.6 million Euros (EUR)]. 65.7% of costs was spent on the treatment of male, while 34.3% on female patients. The highest patient numbers were in outpatient care: 160,368 men (56.4%), and 123,789 women (43.6%), in total 284,157 patients. Outpatient care (61.3% of total health insurance costs in men, 71% in women), acute inpatient care (29.2% in men, 18.4% in women) and general practice care (4.5% in men, 4.8% in women) were the main cost drivers, while all other forms of medical care amounted to 5.1% in men and 5.8% in women. Annual health care treatment cost per patient was 15,188 HUF (56 USD/48 EUR) in men and 10,266 HUF (38 USD/22 EUR) in women. Outpatient care was the major cost driver. There was a difference in major cost drivers between men and women. Average, annual health insurance costs per patient was 48% higher in men.