The burden of diseases in the Albanian population is increasing year by year, as a result of the aging population and lifestyle changes.

Data from the Ministry of Health, in the monitoring reports for the year 2023, show that the natural increase of chronic diseases for the 8-month period of 2023 is 6.9% compared to 2022.

The growing contingent of patients requires continuous treatment with free medication, but reimbursement funds are insufficient.

In the official report, the Ministry of Health has emphasized that the funds for reimbursement are not sufficient, calling for an increase in the ceiling of the Fund for the year 2023.

“The average number of diagnoses per patient for the first 8 months of 2022 is 1.83 diagnoses, while the average number of diagnoses per patient for the first 8 months of 2023 is 1.96 diagnoses.

The increase in the number of diagnoses reimbursed per patient is 6.9% higher in 2023,” analyzed the ministry.

The increase in chronic diseases, including new cases and cases with changes in treatment schemes, affects the trend of reimbursement expenses.

According to the Ministry of Health, in the 8-month period of 2023, 74,331 new cases of chronic illnesses were identified, which require at least an additional value in the reimbursement fund of 270,020,711 lek, or 3.3% more.

Comparable data show that while the burden of diseases in the population has been increasing rapidly in recent years, public funds for reimbursing treatment for the sick have not followed the same trend.

For nearly a decade, the budget for medication reimbursement has remained almost stagnant, at a time when budget revenues have doubled and financial resources of the Mandatory Health Insurance Fund (the structure that finances public health services) have increased.

In 2013, spending on medication reimbursement was 2.1% of total budget expenditures, while in 2024 this ratio worsened, as they accounted for only 1.6% of total budget expenditures.

From 2019 to 2024, the Mandatory Health Insurance Fund budget has increased by about 40%, while the voice of medication reimbursement only by 20%, according to official data. In 2019, the reimbursement fund accounted for 24% of total Mandatory Health Insurance Fund expenditures, while in 2024 only 20.6%.