OBJECTIVES: Our aim was to analyze the nationwide epidemiological and health insurance burden of hip osteoarthritis in Hungary.

METHODS: Data were derived from the nationwide financial database of the National Health Insurance Fund Administration (NHIFA) of Hungary for the year 2018. The data analyzed included annual patient numbers, prevalence per 100 000 population in acute inpatient care, health insurance costs calculated for age groups and sex for all types of care. Patients with hip osteoarthritis were identified with the code M16 of the International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision.

RESULTS: In 2018, the NHIFA spent 13.49 billion HUF (49.93 million USD/42.31 million EUR) on the treatment of hip osteoarthritis. 36.8% of costs was spent on the treatment of male, 63.2% on female patients. Acute inpatient care (62.7% of total health insurance costs in men, 51.0% in women), outpatient care (14.6% in men, 20.0% in women) and chronic inpatient care (8.2% in men, 11.2% in women) were the main cost drivers. The average annual treatment cost per patient was 1,156,605 HUF (4,280 USD/3,627 EUR) in men and 1,337,344 HUF (4,949 USD/4,194 EUR) in women. The highest national patient numbers were found in outpatient care: 69,311 men, 148,375 women, in total 217,686 patients, followed by general practice care (63,551 men, 138,030 women, in total 201,581 patients), and pharmaceuticals (29,071 men, 68,618 women, in total 97,689 patients). Based on patient numbers in acute inpatient care, the prevalence per 100,000 among men was 91.9, among women 124.9, in total 109.1 patients.

CONCLUSIONS: The average annual treatment cost per patient was 15.6 % higher for women compared to men. The prevalence of hip osteoarthritis was 1.36-times higher in women compared to men. Acute inpatient care was the major cost driver in the treatment of hip osteoarthritis.