Ageing may have limited impact on future costs of primary care providers.
OBJECTIVE
To project the future costs of primary care providers in Denmark, taking into account high costs in the last year of life.


METHODS
Observational study and modelling.


METHODS
Primary health care providers (doctors, dentists, physiotherapists, etc.), but not nursing homes and home help services.


METHODS
The Danish population for the years 1995-2020 was projected on the basis of the current population using the cohort-component method. Average costs of use of various types of primary care providers were estimated from a 19.2% random sample of the 1995 population. Future costs were then projected using the population projection and age- and sex-specific average costs for survivors and non-survivors.


RESULTS
The population was projected to increase by 8.2%, while the estimated increase was 36.1% for people aged over 50 years. Future costs of primary care providers were projected to increase by 8.2%, i.e. proportionally to the population increase.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of the study indicate that demographic changes will Influence future costs of primary care providers through an increasing population size, but not because of ageing. This conclusion is independent of whether high costs in the last year of life are accounted for or not.
Madsen
Jannie
J
Institute of Public Health, Health Economics and Aging Research Center, University of Southern Denmark, Odense.
Serup-Hansen
Niels
N
Kragstrup
Jakob
J
Kristiansen
Ivar Sønbø
IS
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003718:Denmark; D005260:Female; D005544:Forecasting; D017048:Health Care Costs / Q000639:trends*; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000191:economics / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011157:Population Dynamics; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000191:economics* / Q000458:organization & administration