title: National healthcare budget impact analysis of the treatment for osteoporosis and fractures in Korea.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study was to determine the impact on the national healthcare expenditure for the treatment of osteoporosis and fractures if the coverage period for osteoporosis medication was extended from maximum a year to continuous period as required.
  
  
  METHODS
  Preserving the current reimbursement guidelines, maximum one year's coverage for osteoporosis medication was set as scenario A. Continuous coverage for patients who require medication was set as scenario B. As costs of medical service utilization are paid by the Korean National Health Insurance Program, all items were investigated and analyzed from the payer's perspective. The combined treatment costs for osteoporosis and osteoporotic fractures were assessed for each scenario.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Over five years the cost of osteoporosis medication in scenario A will increase from 184.3 billion KRW to 204.6 billion KRW. The cost of osteoporotic fracture treatment will increase from 1,037.3 billion KRW to 1,822.7 billion KRW. In scenario B, the cost of osteoporosis medication will increase from 209.5 billion KRW to 388.1 KRW. The cost of osteoporotic fracture treatment will increase from 600.0 billion KRW to 1,054.3 billion KRW. The result showed savings of 2.50 trillion KRW cumulatively for five years when reimbursement coverage for osteoporosis treatments is extended from one year to as long as it's clinically required.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrates that effective osteoporosis management through appropriate insurance coverage for osteoporosis medication should be considered not only for the patient's viewpoint, but in terms of national insurance budget as well.
authors: Department of Public Health Science, Graduate School of Public Health, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.
authors: Hwabok
authors: H
authors: Yi
authors: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Chung-Ang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors: Yong-Chan
authors: YC
authors: Ha
authors: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Korea.
authors: Young-Kyun
authors: YK
authors: Lee
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Catholic University of Korea, College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors: Young-Taik
authors: YT
authors: Lim
keywords: Economics; Fractures bone; Health expenditures; Osteoporosis; Republic of Korea