OBJECTIVES: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common heterogeneus disorder of the endocrine reproductive system in women of childbearing age. It affects 4-20% of women in reproductive age worldwide. Our aim was to determine the annual costs of the health insurance system related to the PCOS in Hungary between 2010 and 2019.

METHODS: Data were derived from the financial database of the National Health Insurance Fund Administration of Hungary of the year 2010 and 2019. Data analyzed included annual health insurance costs, number of patients and cost distribution calculated for age groups. The following cost categories were included into the study: general practitioner care, home care, in- and outpatient care, medical imaging, laboratory diagnostics and pharmaceuticals. Patients with female infertility, unspecified were identified with the following code of the International Classification of Diseases 10th revision: E28.2.

RESULTS: In 2019, the NHIFA spent 128.4 million HUF (441.8 thousand USD) on the health care treatment of patients with PCOS, which is remarkably higher than in 2010 (82.2 million HUF, 305.0 thousand USD). The costs of outpatient care (2010: 35.5%; 2019: 40.0%) and general practitioner (2010: 17.6%; 2019: 26.6%) were the main cost drivers from the annual health care expenditure. Annual health care treatment cost per a patient was 26,226 HUF (97.5 USD) in 2010 and 40,405 HUF (139.0 USD) in 2019 in pharmaceuticals care. The highest annual health insurance costs were found in ’20-29’ and ‘30-39’ age groups in 2010, while in 2019 cost among patients was increased in the ’30-39’ and ’40-49’ age gropus remarkably.

CONCLUSIONS: In 2019 the utilization of patients with PCOS was 1.6 times higher than in 2010. The largest increase of health insurence costs were found in the treatment of ’40-49’ age group (2.9 times), especially in general practitioner, laboratory diagnostics and outpatient care.