Positive trend in asthma and allergy costs continues

Background At the end of the Finnish Allergy Programme 2008–18 we aimed to analyse today’s costs in asthma and allergic diseases as well as their trends during the Programme. One of the main goals of the Programme was a 20% decrease in the economic burden due to allergic diseases.

Methods We studied outpatient visits and hospital days in specialist care and primary health care in asthma and allergy. In addition, we studied costs for private physician appointments, occupational health services, rehabilitation, and drugs using official register information, as well as trends in allergy diets in school and preschool during the Programme. Permanent work disability was followed through national registers and short-term sickness absences and reduced working capacity while at work by self-reported information from a questionnaire study.

Results The total costs in asthma and allergy were 1.5–1.8 billion euros in 2018. The direct costs were 332 million euros. Costs were mostly due to asthma (205 million euros), allergic rhinitis (47 million) and atopic eczema (36 million). The total costs of drugs constituted 190 million euros. The annual direct costs decreased by 5% from 2007 to 2018. Outpatient visits and travel expenses have increased while the other costs with comparable statistics have decreased since 2007. Costs for cow’s milk allergy in infants decreased by 72% (from 6.2 to 1.5 million) and hospital days decreased by half in both specialist care (from 13.4 to 7.3 million) and primary health care (from 5.3 to 2.4 million). The annual indirect costs due to allergy and asthma were estimated as 1.2–1.5 billion euros. Reduced working capacity accounted for 65%, sickness absence for 25% and disability retirement for 10% of the indirect costs. Costs of lost working days due to permanent work disability decreased 55% (from 330 to 150 million) and reimbursements for sickness allowances decreased 40% (from 6.3 to 3.8 million) from 2007 to 2018. The annual direct and indirect costs in total decreased by 30% (from 630 to 443 million) during the Finnish Allergy Programme.

Conclusions Asthma and allergic diseases are common diseases and they incur substantial costs in health care while occasional sickness absences and symptoms at work result in high productivity losses. The positive trend found in the first half of the Programme continued. The burden of asthma and allergy in Finnish society has declined resulting in marked cost savings.