OBJECTIVES : Developed countries have seen an increase in the prevalence of asthma. The treatment of its main symptoms and its increasing prevalence have become major challenges for health care financers and governments. Our aim was to determine the annual health insurance treatment cost of asthma in Hungary.

METHODS : Data were derived from the financial database of the NHIFA, for the year 2018. Data analysed included annual health insurance costs, patient numbers and cost distribution calculated for age groups and sex. The following cost categories were included into the study: general practice care, home care, in- and outpatient care, medical imaging, laboratory diagnostics, pharmaceuticals and medical aids. Patients with allergic asthma were identified with the following code of the International Classification of Diseases 10^th revision: J4590.

RESULTS : In 2018, the Hungarian National Health Insurance Fund Administration spent 11.79 billion Hungarian Forints (HUF) on the treatment of asthma patients, 43.62 million American Dollars (USD), or 36.97 million Euros (EUR). 40.13% of costs was spent on treatment of male, 59.87% on female patients. The highest patient numbers were in general practice care: 140,737 men (42.78%), 188,275 women (57.22%), in total 329,012 patients. Pharmaceuticals (60.32% of total health insurance costs in men, 60.92% in women), outpatient care (16.17% in men, 15.88% in women) and general practice care (9.19% in men, 8.86% in women) were the main cost drivers, all other forms of medical care amounted to 14.32% in men and 14.34% in women. Annual health care treatment cost per patient was 33,614 HUF (124 USD/105 EUR) in men and 37,482 HUF (139 USD/118 EUR) in women.

CONCLUSIONS : Pharmaceuticals were the major cost drivers in the treatment of asthma. Major cost drivers showed no significant difference between the sexes. The average annual health insurance costs per patient was 12% higher in women.