Reimbursed health expenditure of people treated for diabetes: 2001 and 2007 Entred studies

Aim: To analyse the reimbursed health expenditures of persons treated for diabetes in France, to measure the evolution between 2001 and 2007 and to identify the factors associated with healthcare consumption.Methods: This analysis used the Entred study (6,710 adults covered by the national health insurance fund for salaried workers and their dependents, treated for diabetes and living in metropolitan France). These data include both medical claims, hospitalisations, and data from questionnaires completed by patients and their practitioners.Results: The average reimbursed expense was estimated at 5,300 euros per treated person with diabetes in 2007, with 10 % of people accounting for 50 % of reimbursements.After extrapolating to overall France, the total reimbursement cost for the national health insurance funds was 12.5 billion euros, of which 4.7 accounted for hospitalisation, 3.4 for drugs and 1.0 for nursing care. The main factors associated with high medical costs, in persons treated for type 2 diabetes, were age, insulin treatment, diabetes complications including end-stage renal failure and severe comorbidities. The increase in costs (an 80 % increase between 2001 and 2007) was mainly linked to the increase in diabetes prevalence as well as to follow up care and treatment intensification.Conclusion: Regarding the cost increase for society, itis now essential to improve care efficiency.