In the 2004–05 financial year, asthma expenditure was $606 million (1.2% of the total allocated health expenditure).
The greatest proportion of asthma expenditure was attributable to prescription pharmaceuticals.
Asthma expenditure consisted of:
- 59% prescription pharmaceuticals (including all pharmaceuticals for which a prescription is needed, including benefit-paid prescriptions, private prescriptions and under-copayment prescriptions).
- 23% out-of-hospital-costs
- 16% admitted patient costs (including public and private acute hospitals, psychiatric hospitals, and medical services provided to private admitted patients in hospital).
- 2% research.
In the 2004–05 financial year, the area of health expenditure which accounted for most of the costs varied between age groups and sex. For example, for males age 0–4, expenditure on admitted patients with asthma was about 39% of the total expenditure. On the other hand, for males age 65–74 with asthma, expenditure on admitted patients was about 8% of the total expenditure.
Source tables
Direct expenditure allocated to asthma, by type of expenditure, 2004–05
|
Per cent |
| Prescription pharmaceuticals (a) |
59 |
| Out-of-hospital medical costs |
23 |
| Admitted patient costs (b) |
16 |
| Research |
2 |
(a) Includes all pharmaceuticals for which a prescription is needed, including benefit-paid prescriptions, private prescriptions and under-copayment prescriptions.
(b) Includes public and private acute hospitals, and psychiatric hospitals. Includes medical services provided to private admitted patients in hospital.
Source: AIHW disease expenditure database as at December 2008.
Allocated expenditure on asthma, by age, sex and area of health expenditure, 2004–05, ($ millions)
| Age |
Male |
|
Female |
| Admitted patients (a) |
Out-of-hospital medical services |
Prescription pharmaceuticals (b) |
Admitted patients (a) |
Out-of-hospital medical services |
Prescription pharmaceuticals (b) |
| 0–4 |
16.765 |
9.993 |
16.582 |
|
9.096 |
5.397 |
9.611 |
| 5–14 |
9.809 |
11.315 |
32.856 |
|
6.557 |
7.570 |
20.703 |
| 15–24 |
2.614 |
6.093 |
16.730 |
|
4.396 |
7.505 |
22.732 |
| 25–34 |
2.170 |
4.845 |
12.612 |
|
4.646 |
7.036 |
20.698 |
| 35–44 |
2.234 |
5.321 |
14.608 |
|
6.986 |
7.757 |
28.379 |
| 45–54 |
2.472 |
5.276 |
14.403 |
|
6.321 |
10.879 |
24.017 |
| 55–64 |
2.223 |
8.865 |
18.143 |
|
6.645 |
13.901 |
28.812 |
| 65–74 |
1.668 |
3.734 |
16.756 |
|
4.726 |
10.665 |
24.417 |
| 75–84 |
1.555 |
4.301 |
11.341 |
|
5.139 |
5.109 |
17.037 |
| 85+ |
0.274 |
0.720 |
2.785 |
|
1.814 |
1.324 |
4.930 |
(a) Includes public and private acute hospitals, and psychiatric hospitals. Includes medical services provided to private admitted patients in hospital.
(b) Includes all pharmaceuticals for which a prescription is needed, including benefit-paid prescriptions, private prescriptions and under-copayment prescriptions.
Source: AIHW disease expenditure database as at December 2008.