OBJECTIVES : Diabetes is a prime health challenge in the Slovak Republic (SR) and imposes substantial economic burden on productivity costs and governmental expenditures. It is the most widespread chronical disease, in 2017 estimating 354,726 people with known diabetes (6,516.96/100,000), whereas the two main types of diabetes accounted for 27,108 (498.02/100,000) of Type1 (T1D) and 321,987 (5,915.49/100,000) of Type2 (T2D). Diabetes mortality in 2018 constituted 636 deaths (T1D:110; T2D:512). This cost study aimed to estimate indirect costs as non-health care expenditures from government budget perspective in consequence of T1D and T2D in 2018 in SR.

METHODS : Study was performed from the government payments perspective, based on data from publicly available outputs of database systems of Statistical Office of the SR, National Health Information Center, Social Insurance Agency and The Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family of the SR. Publicly unavailable data were obtained from health authorities on request. Calculations included sickness benefits during temporary incapacity (BTI), invalidity pension (IP) and financial benefits for severely disabled persons (BSD).

RESULTS : In 2018 there were 1,158 newly reported IP cases due to T1D/T2D (T1D:571; T2D:587), 2,003 (T1D:788; T2D:1,215) new cases of BTI payments, of which 1,657 (T1D:640; T2D:1,017) terminated within 2018, with average sick leave duration 81.57 days (T1D:60.34; T2D:94.93). BSD associated with diabetes assigned to 28,187 patients with total sum of 14,094,397.04 €.

CONCLUSIONS : So far, no published study has assessed the yearly amount of indirect costs of diabetes in SR. According to our findings diabetes pose substantial financial burden. Our study provides the first estimate of the burden of disease and can serve as a baseline for cost of illness studies and cost-effectiveness evaluations of interventions used in diabetes.