OBJECTIVE: To determine the 1-year cost of myocardial infarction and stroke (first hospitalization and follow-up) in Hungary. METHODS: A retrospective patient follow-up was developed in the National Health Fund Administration (NHIFA) Database. Patients were selected by ICD codes of myocardial infarction and stroke in the database and were follow-up during one year (2000). All of their resources consumption and costs reported by hospitals and outpatient care was registered. Only resource use due to myocardial infarction and stroke was collected. Costing was evaluated from the payer's (Insurer) perspective. Inpatient and outpatient costs were collected. RESULTS: The average 1-year cost of a myocardial infarction was 374,086 HUF per patients (255,887 HUF for acute care and 118,199 HUF for the follow-up) in 2000. The average 1-year cost of a stroke was 122,399 HUF per patient (91,027 HUF for acute care and 31,372 HUF for the follow-up). The estimated costs for year 2003 is 480 185 for the myocardial infarction and 158,059 for stroke. CONCLUSION: There is little information about total costs of these pathologies in Hungary. The methodology of patient follow-up was able to show the costs paid by Insurer for patients suffering in myocardial infarction and stroke. Costs evaluation allows performing economic evaluation on the field in Hungary.