Alcohol-related healthcare costs in Finland could reach €1.1 billion annually, new report reveals

By admin On Aug 21, 2024

LEHTIKUVA

A recent study suggests that the financial burden of alcohol on Finland’s public healthcare system is significantly higher than previously estimated, with annual costs potentially reaching up to €1.1 billion. This stark finding comes from a report by FCG Finnish Consulting Group, commissioned by the preventive substance abuse organization EHYT.

The report highlights a substantial underestimation of alcohol’s impact on healthcare spending.

Depending on the method of calculation, alcohol-related healthcare costs range from €648 million to €1.141 billion per year. To put this into perspective, the total expenditure for inpatient care in primary healthcare in 2020 was €789 million.

The study arrives amid ongoing discussions about the crisis in Finland’s healthcare system, with welfare regions facing budget overruns, even as alcohol availability has increased. Alcohol consumption is known to contribute to over 200 diseases and elevate the risk of accidents requiring hospitalization, thereby adding pressure to the public healthcare system and the financial stability of welfare regions.

Back in 2013, the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) estimated alcohol-related healthcare costs at €109 million. However, this figure now appears modest, especially when compared to Sweden, where alcohol was estimated to have cost the public healthcare system around €660 million in 2017.

“It’s clear that Finland needs a more comprehensive and updated assessment of the societal costs of alcohol, particularly now as alcohol becomes increasingly prevalent in everyday environments,” said Juha Mikkonen, Executive Director of EHYT. “The negative externalities of alcohol are already significant, and they should not be exacerbated by political decisions.”

Major Cost Driver for Welfare Regions

The new study utilized data from Finland’s total public healthcare costs, which amounted to approximately €12.9 billion in 2021. Given that alcohol is estimated to account for 5% of all deaths in Finland, direct alcohol-related deaths alone could translate to healthcare costs of €648 million in 2021.

However, a more detailed analysis using the metric of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) suggests that alcohol-related healthcare costs could be as high as €947 million. When comparing these costs to all premature years of life lost (PYLL), the figure rises to an alarming €1.141 billion annually.

“Lost years of life provide a stark measure of the health impacts. Alcohol negatively affects people’s health and generates a need for treatment across various diseases, which in turn increases the costs for welfare regions,” explained Emma Kajander, FCG’s Business Director and expert physician.

The report also pinpointed the regions with the highest alcohol-related costs. Helsinki, Pirkanmaa, and Southwest Finland lead the list, with costs ranging from €65–114 million, €53–93 million, and €45–79 million, respectively. For comparison, the costs in Kymenlaakso are estimated at €24–43 million, similar to the annual cost of emergency care in Kouvola, which is approximately €20 million.

It’s important to note that the study did not include costs associated with occupational health or private healthcare services. Alcohol also imposes additional financial burdens on social services, child protection, the police, and the judicial system.

The findings will be discussed in an online event on August 21, 2024, from 9:00 to 10:00 AM, where Emma Kajander will present the background of the report. Commentary will be provided by Jukka Mattila, Director of Policy at the Finnish Medical Association, and Hanna-Maija Kause, Director of Health Services at the Finnish Association for Welfare Services HALI.

Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi