TY - JOUR

T1 - Gesundheitsausgaben und die Rolle des Alters

T2 - Eine detaillierte Analyse der Kosten von Überlebenden und Verstorbenen

AU - Stahmeyer, Jona T.

AU - Hamp, Sascha

AU - Zeidler, Jan

AU - Eberhard, Sveja

PY - 2021/10

Y1 - 2021/10

N2 - Background: Germany faces various socio-political challenges due to its ongoing ageing population. Significant increases in social security contributions are widely expected. The impact of ageing on healthcare expenditure is a controversial issue. Experts agree that costs for end-of-life care account for a significant part of total healthcare expenditures. For a meaningful forecast, detailed information on healthcare costs differentiated by survivors and decedents is necessary. Extensive data are hardly available for Germany. The aim of the analysis was therefore to describe healthcare costs in the statutory health insurance. Methods: The basis for the calculation is billing data from the statutory health insurance “AOK Niedersachsen” (Lower Saxony). Persons who survived or died in 2017 were included in the analysis. Average costs were standardised. Results: The data of 2.46 million survivors and 34,307 decedents were analysed. The average annual healthcare costs were 2756 € for survivors and 21,830 € for decedents in the last year of life. The average healthcare costs for survivors increase with age whereas costs for decedents are highest in younger age groups and decline with increasing age. A detailed analysis of end-of-life costs shows an exponential increase of costs in the last three years of life with the highest costs in the quarter before death (10,577 €). Discussion: The analysis gives a detailed overview on the structure of healthcare expenditure in the statutory health insurance and can serve as a basis for future forecasts regarding healthcare expenditure.

AB - Background: Germany faces various socio-political challenges due to its ongoing ageing population. Significant increases in social security contributions are widely expected. The impact of ageing on healthcare expenditure is a controversial issue. Experts agree that costs for end-of-life care account for a significant part of total healthcare expenditures. For a meaningful forecast, detailed information on healthcare costs differentiated by survivors and decedents is necessary. Extensive data are hardly available for Germany. The aim of the analysis was therefore to describe healthcare costs in the statutory health insurance. Methods: The basis for the calculation is billing data from the statutory health insurance “AOK Niedersachsen” (Lower Saxony). Persons who survived or died in 2017 were included in the analysis. Average costs were standardised. Results: The data of 2.46 million survivors and 34,307 decedents were analysed. The average annual healthcare costs were 2756 € for survivors and 21,830 € for decedents in the last year of life. The average healthcare costs for survivors increase with age whereas costs for decedents are highest in younger age groups and decline with increasing age. A detailed analysis of end-of-life costs shows an exponential increase of costs in the last three years of life with the highest costs in the quarter before death (10,577 €). Discussion: The analysis gives a detailed overview on the structure of healthcare expenditure in the statutory health insurance and can serve as a basis for future forecasts regarding healthcare expenditure.

KW - Cost development

KW - Demografic change

KW - End-of-life costs

KW - Health economics

KW - Health services utilization

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85110457523&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1007/s00103-021-03385-y

DO - 10.1007/s00103-021-03385-y

M3 - Artikel

C2 - 34258630

AN - SCOPUS:85110457523

VL - 64

SP - 1307

EP - 1314

JO - Bundesgesundheitsblatt - Gesundheitsforschung - Gesundheitsschutz

JF - Bundesgesundheitsblatt - Gesundheitsforschung - Gesundheitsschutz

SN - 1436-9990

IS - 10

ER -