OBJECTIVES: Injuries to the ankle and foot cause significant burden for the individual and society. Our aim was to determine the annual health insurance treatment cost of injuries to the ankle and foot in Hungary.

METHODS: Data were derived from the financial database of the Hungarian National Health Insurance Fund Administration (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 injuries to the ankle and foot were identified with the following code of the International Classification of Diseases 10^th revision: S90-99.

RESULTS: In 2018, the NHIFA spent 2.187 billion Hungarian Forints (HUF) on the treatment of patients with injuries to the ankle and foot [8.09 million American Dollars (USD), or 6.85 million Euros (EUR)]. 53.9% of costs was spent on the treatment of male, while 46.1% on female patients. The highest patient numbers were in outpatient care: 113,948 men (50.7%), and 110,805 women (49.3%), in total 224,753 patients. Outpatient care (59.7% of total health insurance costs in men, 64.6% in women), acute inpatient care (16.7% in men, 10.5% in women) and medical aids (10.1% in men, 10.3% in women) were the main cost drivers, all other forms of medical care amounted to 13.6% in men and 14.6% in women. Annual health care treatment cost per patient was 10,354 HUF (38 USD/32 EUR) in men and 9,094 HUF (34 USD/29 EUR) in women.

CONCLUSIONS: Outpatient 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 14% higher in men than in women.