<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Healthcare financing in Serbia has faced many challenges over the past few decades. One of the most severe challenges is a global macroeconomic recession whose far-reaching consequences deserve particular attention from policymakers in cases of the most demanding major prosperity diseases, such as cancer. The objective of the study was to assess the precise cost matrix of oncology medical care and its chronological evolution during the key years of the macroeconomic recessionary period during 2010-2013.A retrospective database of hospital discharge invoices was analysed, encompassing 37, 978 hospital admissions and 12, 505 patients during a four-year period. Insight into microeconomic patterns of consumption across groups of medical services was provided. A payer's perspective and one-year time horizon have been adopted.Total hospital direct medical costs of cancer diagnostics and treatment in the observed tertiary care facility decreased from €7, 411, 446 in 2010 to €5, 715, 884 in 2012 and then increased to an extraordinary €8, 536, 364 in 2013. The costs of oncology nursing care, imaging diagnostics and radiotherapy have increased considerably while those of pharmaceuticals and surgery have decreased radically - completely transforming the resource allocation landscape of public cancer care.The financial burden of cancer in Serbia is considerable and, unfortunately, expected to increase further in the coming years. Worldwide economic recession and consecutive domestic policy constraints of reimbursement limitations have heavily affected the affordability of cancer treatment for ordinary citizens. Promising signs of market recovery are clearly visible in 2013, which will likely improve both access and equity of medical care in Serbian oncology clinics.</abstract>

Healthcare financing in Serbia has faced many challenges over the past few decades. One of the most severe challenges is a global macroeconomic recession whose far-reaching consequences deserve particular attention from policymakers in cases of the most demanding major prosperity diseases, such as cancer. The objective of the study was to assess the precise cost matrix of oncology medical care and its chronological evolution during the key years of the macroeconomic recessionary period during 2010-2013.A retrospective database of hospital discharge invoices was analysed, encompassing 37, 978 hospital admissions and 12, 505 patients during a four-year period. Insight into microeconomic patterns of consumption across groups of medical services was provided. A payer's perspective and one-year time horizon have been adopted.Total hospital direct medical costs of cancer diagnostics and treatment in the observed tertiary care facility decreased from €7, 411, 446 in 2010 to €5, 715, 884 in 2012 and then increased to an extraordinary €8, 536, 364 in 2013. The costs of oncology nursing care, imaging diagnostics and radiotherapy have increased considerably while those of pharmaceuticals and surgery have decreased radically - completely transforming the resource allocation landscape of public cancer care.The financial burden of cancer in Serbia is considerable and, unfortunately, expected to increase further in the coming years. Worldwide economic recession and consecutive domestic policy constraints of reimbursement limitations have heavily affected the affordability of cancer treatment for ordinary citizens. Promising signs of market recovery are clearly visible in 2013, which will likely improve both access and equity of medical care in Serbian oncology clinics.

Macroeconomic Policy Impact On Oncology-Related Public Expenditure In An Emerging European Market – Signs Of Early Recovery

Oncology and Radiotherapy Center, Clinical Center Kragujevac, Kragujevac, Serbia

Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, Kragujevac, Serbia

Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, Kragujevac, Serbia

Experimental and Applied Biomedical Research (EABR)

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UTICAJ MAKROEKONOMSKE POLITIKE NA JAVNA IZDVAJANJA ZA ONKOLOGIJU NA RASTUĆEM EVROPSKOM TRŽIŠTU – ZNACI RANOG OPORAVKA

Healthcare financing in Serbia has faced many challenges over the past few decades. One of the most severe challenges is a global macroeconomic recession whose...

Macroeconomic Policy Impact On Oncology-Related Public Expenditure In An Emerging European Market – Signs Of Early Recovery

Published Online: Apr 04, 2015

Page range: 43 - 50

Received: May 20, 2014

Accepted: Jun 25, 2014

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/sjecr-2015-0007

© Aleksandar Dagovic et al.

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.