DISABILITY PENSION IN MALMOHUS COUNTY - ASPECTS ON LONG-TERM FINANCIAL EFFECTS

The purpose of this study was to estimate the financial costs of disab ility pension in order to compare the financial burden and the numeric al distribution of disability pension by main diagnostic groups. Durin g three months all new disability pensions (n=944) granted in Malmohus county were registered. During a follow-up of approximately two and a half years, 40 subjects died and 15 pensions expired. The predominati ng diagnoses were musculoskeletal diseases, mental disorders including alcohol dependence, cardiovascular and neurological diseases. To anal yse whether these proportions changed when the extent of the pension, age at pension and the retirement allowance were considered, the prese nt value of the total retirement allowances was calculated. The rankin g of the four predominating diagnosis categories was not affected by t he extent of the pension or the age at which the pension was granted. Thus, musculoskeletal diseases still predominated, although the propor tion decreased. Among unemployed subjects, mental disorders made the l argest contribution to the total expenditure. The results gained may b e used in further research where alternatives to disability pension fo r different groups of patients and/or diagnoses are investigated.