OBJECTIVES : Diabetic neuropathy is a common complication of diabetes mellitus, the treatment of which results in increased costs for both the patient and health insurance system. Our aim was to determine the annual health insurance treatment cost of diabetes with neurological complications 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 non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus with neurological complications were identified with the following code of the International Classification of Diseases 10^th revision: E1140.

RESULTS : In 2018, the Hungarian National Health Insurance Fund Administration spent 3.30 billion Hungarian Forints (HUF) on the treatment of patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes with neurological complications, 12.22 million American Dollars (USD), or 10.36 million Euros (EUR). 46.9% of costs was spent on the treatment of male, 53.1% on female patients. The highest patient numbers were in outpatient care: 19,534 men (46.0%), 22,913 women (54.0%) in total 42,447 patients. Pharmaceuticals (80.0% of total health insurance costs in men, 77.9% in women), outpatient care (7.8% in men, 8.0% in women) and general practice care (5.3% in men, 5.6% in women) were the main cost drivers, while all other forms of medical care amounted to 7.0% in men and 8.5% in women. Annual health care treatment cost per patient was 79,245 HUF (293 USD/249 EUR) in men and 76,576 HUF (283 USD/240 EUR) in women.

CONCLUSIONS : Treatment costs mostly depend on the extent of pharmacotherapy required. Reimbursement of pharmaceuticals was the major cost driver.