OBJECTIVES

The main objective of our analysis was to calculate all potential financial and health benefits associated with continual investments into community psychiatric departments (CPD) in Slovakia within next 10 years.

METHODS

In cooperation with key payers, Ministry of Health and Social Insurance Agency, we performed cost-of-illness study with payer perspective aimed at diagnosis of F20-29 and F30-39 which are most frequent among patients in CPD (+80%). Direct and indirect costs were calculated for 2015-2019 period. Additionally, we performed total costs prediction for next 10 year with 3 possible scenarios and implemented potential benefits of CPD adequate funding and the CPD net extension from 18 to 26 in 2025. Health benefits of CPD were taken from local 7 years observation study performed by the authors.

RESULTS

Total additional investments into CPD are expected at the level of 40,739 mil EUR within 2020-2030 (extension from 18 to 26 CPD and increase in reimbursement level by 40 EUR for 1 place/day). The total costs savings associated with introduction adequately funded 26 CPD by 2025 predicted to be 43 mil EUR in linear scenario cost evolution, 559 mil EUR in progressive scenario cost evolution and 1075 mil EUR in psychiatry experts' scenario cost evolution. Potential health returns were 4 386 healthy life-years gained and 9129 averted prevalent cases. The benefit to cost ratios for economic and value of health returns were 1,055 for linear, 13,73 for progressive and 26,40 for expert scenario.

CONCLUSIONS

According to our predictive model, it is expected that adequate long term CPD funding may play substantial economic role when considering costs associated with F20-29 and F30-39 diagnosis in Slovakia. The economic and health benefits of investments into the mental health had been well described and previously published. Our analysis confirmed those findings in local conditions.