The Economic Burden of Disease in France From the National Health Insurance Perspective: The Healthcare Expenditures and Conditions Mapping Used to Prepare the French Social Security Funding Act and the Public Health Act.

BACKGROUND: Identifying the most frequently treated and the costliest health conditions is essential for prioritizing actions to improve the resilience of health systems. OBJECTIVES: Healthcare Expenditures and Conditions Mapping describes the annual economic burden of 58 health conditions to prepare the French Social Security Funding Act and the Public Health Act. DESIGN: Annual cross-sectional study (2015-2019) based on the French national health database. SUBJECTS: National health insurance beneficiaries (97% of the French residents). MEASURES: All individual health care expenditures reimbursed by the national health insurance were attributed to 58 health conditions (treated diseases, chronic treatments, and episodes of care) identified by using algorithms based on available medical information (diagnosis coded during hospital stays, long-term diseases, and specific drugs). RESULTS: In 2019, €167.0 billion were reimbursed to 66.3 million people (52% women, median age: 42 y). The most prevalent treated diseases were diabetes (6.0%), chronic respiratory diseases (5.5%), and coronary diseases (3.2%). Coronary diseases accounted for 4.6% of expenditures, neurotic and mood disorders 3.7%, psychotic disorders 2.8%, and breast cancer 2.1%. Between 2015 and 2019, the expenditures increased primarily for diabetes (+€906 million) and neurotic and mood disorders (+€861 million) due to the growing number of patients. "Active lung cancer" (+€797 million) represented the highest relative increase (+54%) due to expenditures for the expensive drugs and medical devices delivered at hospital. CONCLUSIONS: These results have provided policy-makers, evaluators, and public health specialists with key insights into identifying health priorities and a better understanding of trends in health care expenditures in France.

French annual national observational study of 2015 outpatient and inpatient healthcare utilization by approximately half a million patients with previous heart failure diagnosis.

BACKGROUND: Heart failure management guidelines have been published, but the degree of adherence to these guidelines remains unknown. AIMS: To study in 2015 healthcare utilization and causes of death for people previously identified with heart failure. METHODS: The national health data system was used to identify adult general scheme (86% of the French population) hospitalized for heart failure between 2011 and 2014 or with only a long-term chronic disease allowance for heart failure. The frequency and median (interquartile range) of at least one healthcare use among those still alive in 2015 was calculated. RESULTS: A total of 499,296 adults (1.4% of the population) were included, and 429,853 were alive in 2015; median age 79 (68-86) years. At least one utilization was observed for a general practitioner in 95% of patients (median 8 [interquartile range 5-13] consultations), a cardiologist in 42% (2 [1-3]), a nurse in 78% (16 [4-100]), a loop diuretic in 64% (11 [8-12] dispensations), an aldosterone antagonist in 21% (8 [5-11]), a thiazide in 15% (7 [4-11]), a renin-angiotensin system inhibitor in 68% (11 [8-13]), a beta-blocker in 65% (11 [7-13]), a beta-blocker plus a renin-angiotensin system inhibitor in 57%, and a beta-blocker plus a renin-angiotensin system inhibitor plus an aldosterone antagonist in 37%. Hospitalization for heart failure was present for 8% (1 [1,2]). Higher levels of healthcare utilization were observed in the presence of hospitalization for heart failure before 2015. Among the 13.9% of people who died in 2015, heart failure accounted for 8% of causes, cardiovascular disease accounted for 39%. CONCLUSIONS: General practitioners and nurses are the main actors in the regular follow-up of patients with heart failure, whereas cardiologist consultations and dispensing of first-line treatments are insufficient with respect to guidelines.

Impact of type 2 diabetes on health expenditure: estimation based on individual administrative data.

Only limited data are available in France on the incidence and health expenditure of type 2 diabetes. The objective of this study, based on national health insurance administrative database, is to describe the expenditure reimbursed to patients newly treated for type 2 diabetes and the proportion of expenditure attributable to diabetes. The study is conducted over a 6-year period from 2008, the year of incidence of treated diabetes, to 2014. Type 2 diabetic patients aged 45 years and older are identified on the basis of their drug consumption. To estimate expenditure attributable to diabetes, a matched control group is selected among more than 13 million beneficiaries over 44 years old not taking antidiabetic treatment. The expenditure attributable to diabetes is estimated by two methods: simple comparison of reimbursed health expenditure between both groups, and a difference-in-differences method including control variables. The cohort of incident type 2 diabetic patients comprises 170,013 patients in 2008. Mean global reimbursed expenditure is €4700 per patient in 2008 and €5500 in 2015. Expenditure attributable to diabetes, estimated by direct comparison with controls, is €1500 in the first year. We, thus, observe a decrease in the following year due to decreased hospitalisations, and then expenditure increase by an average of 7% per year to reach €1900 in the eighth year after the initiation of treatment.