OBJECTIVES: Our aim was to determine the annual health insurance treatment cost of fracture of skull and facial bones 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 fracture of skull and facial bones were identified with the following code of the International Classification of Diseases 10^th revision: S02.

RESULTS: In 2018, the Hungarian National Health Insurance Fund Administration spent 946.05 million Hungarian Forints (HUF) on the treatment of patients with fracture of skull and facial bones [3.50 million American Dollars (USD), or 2.96 million Euros (EUR)]. 66.9% of costs was spent on the treatment of male, while 33.1% on female patients. The highest patient numbers were in outpatient care: 11,306 men (57.7%), and 8,284 women (42.3%), in total 19,590 patients. Acute inpatient care (78.8% of total health insurance costs in men, 68.6% in women), CT diagnostics (9.9% in men, 14.6% in women) and outpatient care (8.4% in men, 12.1% in women) were the main cost drivers, while all other forms of medical care amounted to 3.0% in men and 4.7% in women. Annual health care treatment cost per patient was 56,007 HUF (207 USD/176 EUR) in men and 37,764 HUF (140 USD/118 EUR) in women.

CONCLUSIONS: Acute inpatient care was the major cost driver. There was a difference in major cost drivers between men and women. Average, annual health insurance costs per patient was 48% higher in men than in women.