$1.6 billion, or 2.2% of the total direct expenditure allocated to diseases, was the direct health expenditure attributed to osteoarthritis in the 2008–09 financial year.
Expenditure for osteoarthritis consisted of:
- 74% admitted patient costs
- 19% out-of-hospital-costs
- 7% prescription pharmaceuticals
These estimates exclude a range of costs incurred by people with osteoarthritis, such as privately purchased (including privately insured) health services like physiotherapy and over-the-counter medicines.
As osteoarthritis is a condition affecting people aged 45 and over mostly, this is where most of the expenditure occurs. It was greatest in the 65–74 age group ($530 million in 2008–09).
There is more expenditure on females than males with osteoarthritis, as would be expected given the higher prevalence of the condition in females. In 2008-09, $916 million was spent on females compared to $688 million on males.
Source tables
Table 1: Direct expenditure allocated to osteoarthritis by type of expenditure, 2008–09
|
$ Millions |
Per cent |
| Admitted patient costs (a) |
1,189 |
74 |
| Out-of-hospital medical expenses |
305 |
19 |
| Prescription medicines (b) |
110 |
7 |
| Total |
1,604 |
100 |
a. Includes public and private acute hospitals and psychiatric hospitals. Includes medical services provided to private admitted patients in hospital.
b. Includes all medicines for which a prescription is needed, including benefit-paid prescriptions, private prescriptions and under-copayment prescriptions. Excludes over-the-counter medicines.
Source: AIHW disease expenditure database.
Table 2: Direct expenditure allocated to osteoarthritis, by age, sex and area of health expenditure, 2008–09, ($ millions)
| Age group |
Males
Admitted
patient costs (a) |
Males
Out-of-hospital
medical expenses |
Males
Prescription medicines (b) |
Females
Admitted
patient costs (a) |
Females
Out-of-hospital
medical expenses |
Females
Prescription medicines (b) |
| 0–4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0.5 |
| 5–14 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0.1 |
0.1 |
0 |
| 15–24 |
0.7 |
0.4 |
0.1 |
0.4 |
0.8 |
0.1 |
| 25–34 |
2.5 |
1.0 |
0.2 |
1.7 |
0.5 |
0.4 |
| 35–44 |
12.1 |
6.0 |
1.4 |
8.9 |
7.0 |
1.9 |
| 45–54 |
48.9 |
15.2 |
4.3 |
51.6 |
22.9 |
5.9 |
| 55–64 |
142.1 |
31.3 |
9.1 |
163.5 |
46.1 |
14.6 |
| 65–74 |
183.9 |
37.7 |
10.4 |
222.5 |
55.4 |
20.2 |
| 75–84 |
118.9 |
27.8 |
9.7 |
179.2 |
38.2 |
20.0 |
| 85+ |
18.5 |
3.6 |
2.7 |
33.9 |
11.1 |
8.5 |
| Total |
527.6 |
123 |
37.9 |
661.8 |
182.1 |
72.1 |
a. Includes public and private acute hospitals and psychiatric hospitals. Includes medical services provided to private admitted patients in hospital.
b. Includes all medicines for which a prescription is needed, including benefit-paid prescriptions, private prescriptions and under-copayment prescriptions. Excludes over-the-counter medicines.
Source: AIHW disease expenditure database.