The proportion of total health expenditure attributed to asthma
care is highest for children-particularly boys aged 5-14 years,
according to a new report released today by the Australian Centre
for Asthma Monitoring (ACAM)-a collaborating unit of the Australian
Institute of Health and Welfare.
Heath Care Expenditure and the Burden of Disease due to
Asthma in Australia, 2000-1 shows that across all age groups
1.4% of total recurrent health expenditure (an estimated $693
million) was spent on treating asthma in 2000-01.
However, in the 5-14 years age group the proportion spent on
asthma in boys was 5.5%. For girls in the same age range the
proportion was 3.2%.
The proportions spent on asthma in 0-4 year olds were also
relatively high, at 4.1% and 4.2% for boys and girls
respectively.
Young children aged 0-4 years also had the highest per capita
rate of asthma expenditure among the Australian population. In this
age range it costs an average of $76 per boy and $66 per girl to
treat the illness each year.
Overall, more than a quarter of total asthma expenditure in the
health sector (hospital care, out-of-hospital care, and
pharmaceuticals) was for children aged 0-14 years. In particular,
nearly half (46%) of all hospital expenditure for asthma was for
this age group.
ACAM Director, Dr Guy Marks, said many features of the
distribution of expenditure are predictable given the nature of the
disease, its treatment and known epidemiology.
'Hospitalisation rates are highest in children, so the
proportion of asthma expenditure attributable to hospital care for
children is greater than for adults,' Dr Marks said.
'More boys than girls have the disease. However, after teenage
years, asthma is more common in women than in men-this is also
reflected in the expenditure patterns.'
'Pharmaceuticals provide the major component in the treatment of
asthma so it is no surprise that over half (54%) of health
expenditure allocated to asthma in 2000-01 was attributed to
pharmaceuticals. This is significantly higher than the proportion
of the total health expenditure attributed to pharmaceuticals
(16%).
Heath Care Expenditure and the Burden of Disease due to
Asthma in Australia, 2000-1 shows that between 1993-94 and
2000-01 there was a 21% real increase in asthma health expenditure,
which was less than the 26% increase in overall health expenditure
for the same period.
Spending on out-of-hospital care for asthma (GPs and
specialists) fell by 18% over the same period while overall
out-of-hospital care expenditure rose by 16%.
Dr Marks said the economic burden of asthma in terms of years of
life lived with a disability was similar to diabetes, injury and
cancer, but that there were fewer deaths associated with
asthma.
21 July 2005
Further information: Dr Guy Marks, tel. 02 9828
4813
For media copies of the report: Publications
Officer, AIHW, tel 61 2 6244 1032.
Availability: Check the AIHW Publications
Catalogue for availability of the Heath Care Expenditure
and the Burden of Disease due to Asthma in Australia,
2000-1.