Use of diabetes drugs and the impact of lowering of the reimbursement rate on diabetic patients’ annual copayments – a microsimulation study

Taulukko 1.

Yleisimmin käytetyt erityiskorvattavat diabeteslääkehoidot tai lääkehoitojen yhdistelmät (n = 28 802 diabetespotilasta).

BACKGROUND: At the beginning of 2017, the reimbursement rate for type 2 diabetes drugs (excl. insulins) was lowered from 100% to 65%.

METHOD: We assessed the use of diabetes drugs, diabetes patients’ comorbidities and annually paid co-payments among ≥ 30-year-old diabetes patients based on register data covering the year 2015. Applying a microsimulation method, we identified the diabetes patient groups whose annual copayments would increase most due to the reimbursement reform.

RESULTS: Of the diabetes patients, 53% used only one and 47% used two or more diabetes drugs. A vast majority of the patients, 88%, used only metformin, gliptins and insulins, either as monotherapy or in combination. Based on microsimulation, the annual copayment increased by approximately 157 euros among patients using newer diabetes drugs (gliptins or GLP-1 analogues) and by 12 euros among patients using older type 2 diabetes drugs.

CONCLUSIONS: The annual copayments of diabetes patients were high even before the reimbursement rate changed, and significant further increases can be anticipated. Health care providers should be aware of patients’ possible financial difficulties in purchasing diabetes drugs.