Estimating medical expenditure associated with osteoporotic hip fracture in elderly Korean women based on the national health insurance claims database 2002-2004

Objectives: To estimate the medical expenditure associated with osteoporotic hip fracture in elderly Korean women from insurer's perspective. Methods: All claim records of women aged ≥50 years and diagnosed with hip fracture from 2002 to 2004 were obtained from the Korean National Health Insurance. The first 6 months were considered a "window period" during which patients with fractures were defined as incident cases if their initial records of visit or admission were observed after June 30, 2002. We included only those with claim records showing diagnosis of osteoporosis or prescription for antiosteoporosis drugs. For each patient, we calculated the cumulative claims amount related to the initial and follow-up treatment for 2 years after fracture. Results: A total of 22,247 patients were identified during 2.5 years. During the first year of fracture, an average of 3.28 visits and 0.97 admissions were recorded; during the second year, 0.35 visits and 0.02 admissions were recorded. The 2-year cost per patient was KRW3,175,467, 97.4% of which was incurred during first year. Conclusion: Exploring the economic burden of osteoporotic hip fracture in the elderly women is expected to motivate policymakers and clinicians to adopt effective treatment options for the disease prevention and expenditure control.