Epilepsy is a widespread and severe neurological disorder, affecting individuals of all ages and genders globally. In Brazil, it's estimated that there are approximately 66 cases per 100,000 children and 47 cases per 100,000 adults annually. Epilepsy carries not only a clinical burden but also a significant economic burden, impacted by healthcare needs, work productivity, and patients' quality of life.

OBJECTIVES: To analyze the economic implications of epilepsy in Brazilian private health system.

METHODS: Using data from the NAGIS databases, this retrospective observational study analyzed data from January 2015 to July 2020. The inclusion criteria was all patients that show the G40 or G41 ICD in outpatient or inpatient setting of care. Outpatient and inpatient care were classified as related to epilepsy based on the procedure performed

RESULTS: 4,700 patients generated 366,937 outpatient procedures and 16,460 hospitalizations, resulting in a total cost of approximately BRL 41.4 million over the study period. Cost analysis showed that 40.7% and 59.3% of expenditures were allocated to outpatient and inpatient care, respectively. Hospitalizations were a key contributor to costs, with average length of stay of 7.25 days and costing BRL 13,118.33 per hospitalization. Patients requiring ICU care had an average length of stay of 11.1 days, with ICU costs representing 24.6% of total hospitalization costs. Patients between 5 and 10 years old accounted for the highest average annual cost of hospitalizations.

CONCLUSIONS: Epilepsy presents a substantial economic burden within the private healthcare sector in Brazil. Patients between 5 to 10 years old, representing a significant portion of childhood epilepsy cases, were found to have higher annual costs per patient, making them an important focus for healthcare resource allocation. Further consideration of specialist care costs may further increase the economic impact of epilepsy. Understanding these economic implications is crucial for improving epilepsy management and patient outcomes.