OBJECTIVES: Asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are chronic conditions with different prevalence, mortality, effect on patient’s quality of life (QoL). The aim of this study was to compare the human capital loss and utility of patients in these conditions with the general Hungarian population; and to estimate the impact of utility decrement and disease specific mortality on the overall health burden in these diseases. METHODS: QoL was assessed with the EuroQoL EQ-5D in cross sectional non-interventional studies. Overall annual health loss due decreased QoL was estimated by multiplying number of patients with the utility decrement. Overall annual years of life loss due premature mortality was calculated by multiplying crude age/disease/gender specific mortality with age/gender specific life expectancy, age/disease/gender specific utility and the number of inhabitants in the age cohort. The aggregation of these expressed the total annual health loss in quality adjusted life years (QALYs). RESULTS: A total of 869 consecutive patients were recruited (402 with asthma, 214 with COPD and 253 with RA). Utility values among patients were significantly lower compared to the general population in all age cohorts (p<0.001). RA was associated with significantly lower utilities compared to asthma between the ages of 45 to 64, and compared to COPD between the ages of 45 to 74 (p<0.05). There was, however, no significant difference between QoL of the two respiratory disorders. Based on conservative estimates (e.g. considering age between 45-84), asthma, COPD and RA contribute to a total annual health loss of 20905, 66911 and 10660 QALYs in Hungary, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The three conditions result in considerable QALY loss to the Hungarian society. Our results outline the importance of the overall health burden calculations, since utility decrement has a significant impact on Human capital loss and provides important data for decision makers.