OBJECTIVES : Psoriasis means a significant burden for the individual and the society as well. Its health care costs are high both from the patients’ and the healthcare system’s perspective. Our aim was to determine the annual health insurance treatment cost of psoriasis 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 psoriasis were identified with the following code of the International Classification of Diseases 10^th revision: L4000-L4090.

RESULTS : In 2018, the Hungarian National Health Insurance Fund Administration spent 2.06 billion Hungarian Forints (HUF) on the treatment of patients with psoriasis, which equals 7.61 million American Dollars (USD), or 6.45 million Euros (EUR). 56.5% of costs was spent on the treatment of male, 43.5% on female patients. The highest patient numbers were in use of pharmaceuticals: 41,494 men (49.0%), 43,211 women (51.0%) in total 84,705 patients. Pharmaceuticals (64.0% of total health insurance costs in men, 54.7% in women), outpatient care (19.1% in men, 24.1% in women) and general practice care (6.2% in men, 7.3% in women) were the main cost drivers, all other forms of medical care amounted to 10.7% in men and 13.8% in women. Annual health care treatment cost per patient was 27,996 HUF (103 USD/88 EUR) in men and 20,717 HUF (77 USD/65 EUR) in women.

CONCLUSIONS : Use of pharmaceuticals was the major cost driver. Distribution of major cost drivers showed a difference between the sexes. The average annual health insurance costs per patient was 35% higher in men.