2024-05-07 12:33:16
“In 2016, 64 million was needed to compensate for anti-tumor drugs. of the funds of the Compulsory Health Insurance Fund. Funding for oncology drugs increased by approximately 20 percent each year. and 2023 these expenses increased more than three times – up to 212 million. euros. About 310 thousand more. EUR was allocated from the state budget to cover premiums for patients who purchased anti-tumor drugs. No other group of medicines has experienced such rapid growth as this one in several years”, observes Evaldas Stropus, head of the Medicines Reimbursement Department of VLK.
According to him, expenses for oncological drugs last year accounted for 40 percent. all expenses of the Compulsory Health Insurance Fund for compensatory medicines. Compare: the second largest group of cardiology drugs spent $72 million last year. euros. They were compensated 863 thousand. patients.
There is no doubt that such a significant jump was determined not only during 2016-2023. period, the number of patients with oncological diseases has increased significantly, but also the inclusion of many new, extremely expensive antitumor drugs in the reimbursement system.
“Eight years ago, 85 drugs for the treatment of oncological diseases were included in the list of reimbursable drugs, and last year the health insurance funds reimbursed already 137 different antitumor drugs,” says E. Stropus.
According to the VLK analysis, the largest amount of Mandatory Health Insurance Fund funds is 33 million. euros – last year it was necessary to treat diseases of the respiratory system – malignant tumors of the bronchi and lungs with compensatory drugs.
Another 31 million Last year, EUR 25 million was allocated to compensate drugs for the treatment of various blood oncological diseases. EUR – to compensate for the treatment of malignant melanoma and other skin tumors with drugs, close to EUR 27 million. euros – for drugs to treat breast cancer.
Also, almost 18 million EUR is intended to compensate the medicines of kidney cancer patients and about 11 million. euros for drugs to treat tumors of the male genital organs.
The analysis carried out by VLK specialists also revealed that in 2023 almost 48,000 people used compensatory anticancer drugs in Lithuania. people, that is even 14 thousand. more patients than in 2016.
About 21 thousand of them of the population purchased reimbursed anticancer drugs without paying patient premiums. This shows that the diagnosis of oncological diseases has significantly improved over the past years, and the inclusion of expensive innovative antitumor drugs in the reimbursement system has possibly led to longer survival of patients with oncological diseases.
2024-05-07 12:33:16