OBJECTIVES: COVID-19 had a significant impact on healthcare and social care costs in Denmark. While evidence on hospital costs exist, evidence on the economic burden on health and social care at the local (municipality) level is lacking. The aim of the study was to investigate the municipalities economic burden of COVID-19.

METHODS: The healthcare and social care costs investigated were limited to the elderly citizens +65 years old - most impacted by COVID-19 due to risk factors. A two-step methodological approach was used. First, existing evidence, including grey literature and public reports, was searched. Secondly, semi-structed interviews were carried out with representatives from two Danish municipalities to specify relevant cost categories and collect input data. Based on 2021, a prevalence-based cost-of-illness (COI) analysis (bottom-up approach) was performed for the two municipalities.

RESULTS: Seven cost-generating categories for health and social care related to COVID-19 were identified from literature review and interviews. Municipality data were, however, incomplete, why part of the COI input had to rely on published studies combined with other data. The analyses showed an estimated COVID-19 cost for citizens 65+ in 2021 of EUR 0.8 million for municipality 1 (EUR 51.7 per citizen) and EUR 0.6 million for municipality 2 (EUR 52.5 per citizen). One-way sensitivity analyses found the total number of COVID-19 related hospital admissions to explain largest part of the municipality costs. Extrapolated to all Danish municipalities - for indicative purposes only - the annual municipality costs of COVID-19 for care of citizens 65+ in Denmark was EUR 61.8 million.

CONCLUSIONS: The study showed that besides COVID-19 related hospital costs, the health and social care costs for citizens 65+ in Danish municipalities were significant. Further research, though, is needed to ensure proper and complete collection of data on all cost-generating categories and to uncover differences between municipalities.