OBJECTIVES: The aim of our study is to calculate the annual health insurance treatment cost of multiple sclerosis in Hungary. METHODS: The data derive from the financial database of the Hungarian National Health Insurance Fund Administration (NHIFA), the only health care financing agency in Hungary. We analyzed the health insurance treatment cost and the number of patients for the year 2010. The following cost categories were included into the study: out-patient care, in-patient care, CT-MRI, PET, home care, transportation, general practitioner, drugs and medical devices. Multiple sclerosis disease was identified with G35-37 codes of the International Classification of Diseases 10^th revision. RESULTS: The Hungarian National Health Insurance Fund Administration spent 6.519 billion Hungarian Forint (HUF) (23.67 million EUR) for the treatment of multiple sclerosis patients. The annual average expenditure per patient was 255089 HUF (926.2 EUR) while the average expenditure per one inhabitant was 651 HUF (2.4 EUR). Major cost drivers were pharmaceuticals (91.6 % of total health insurance costs), acute inpatient care (2.1 %) and CT/MRI examinations (1.3 %). The number of patients with multiple sclerosis was 25.5 per 10000 populations. We found the highest patient number in outpatient care budget (25557 patients), pharmaceuticals (13276 patients) and general practitioners (9327 patients). CONCLUSIONS: Multiple sclerosis represents a significant burden for the health insurance system. Reimbursement of pharmaceuticals is the major cost driver for multiple sclerosis in Hungary.