General characteristics and indicators for healthcare use for three distinct cost groups
| General characteristics | Top 1% | Top 2%–5% | Bottom 95% |
| Number of beneficiaries | 45 207 | 180 826 | 4 294 611 |
| Average total costs (SD) | €56 424 (€40 830) | €15 780 (€5208) | €1345 (€1773) |
| Share of total costs (%) | 22.8 | 25.5 | 51.7 |
| Private spending* (SD) | €330 (€172) | €335 (€165) | €159 (€181) |
| Gender (%) | |||
| Male | 52.3 | 44.8 | 49.6 |
| Female | 47.7 | 55.2 | 50.4 |
| Mean age (SD) | 58.5 (21.6) | 58.0 (21.8) | 39.2 (23.3) |
| Median age (years) | 64 | 62 | 39 |
| Percentage dying in or after study period (%) | |||
| Q1: | 0.7 | 0.9 | 0.2 |
| Q2: | 1.8 | 1.6 | 0.2 |
| Q3: | 3.2 | 1.7 | 0.1 |
| Q4: | 4.2 | 1.9 | 0.1 |
| >Q4†: | 12.5 | 5.9 | 0.7 |
| Socioeconomic status (%) | |||
| >15 inhabitants‡ | 4.5 | 3.1 | 1.0 |
| Lowest incomes: | 31.1 | 31.5 | 31.4 |
| Average income: | 37.5 | 38.5 | 37.7 |
| High income: | 26.8 | 26.7 | 28.6 |
| Medical characteristics | Top 1% | Top 2%–5% | Bottom 95% |
| Average number of comorbidities—ICD chapter (SD) | 4.2 (2.1) | 3.3 (1.8) | 0.7 (1.1) |
| Average number of comorbidities—ICD subchapter (SD) | 5.5 (3.1) | 4.0 (2.3) | 0.8 (1.2) |
| Average number of chronic comorbidities—calculated by pharmaceutical cost groups (SD) | 1.1 (1.2) | 1.0 (1.1) | 0.2 (0.6) |
| (Expensive) healthcare use | Top 1% | Top 2%–5% | Bottom 95% |
| Percentage using expensive care >€10 000 (%) | 24.6 | 5.8 | 0.0 |
| Percentage transplant beneficiaries (%) | 3.7 | 0.8 | 0.03 |
| Percentage receiving dialysis (%) | 6.1 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| Percentage receiving DRG >€30 000 (%) | 4.5 | 0.03 | 0 |
| Percentage with >0 inpatient mental healthcare stays (%) | 13.0 | 3.3 | 0.04 |
| Percentage with mental healthcare costs >€0 (%) | 23.5 | 20.6 | 6.4 |
| Average number of inpatient mental hospital days (SD)§ | 54.7 (74.3) | 4.0 (11.7) | 0.05 (0.8) |
| Percent visiting a specialised mental care centre (%) | 22.5 | 19.2 | 4.8 |
| Average number of hospital specialists involved (SD) | 4.2 (2.3) | 3.0 (1.8) | 0.6 (1.0) |
| Average number of hospitals visited (SD) | 1.9 (1.0) | 1.6 (0.9) | 0.5 (0.7) |
| Average number of inpatient hospital days (SD) | 22.3 (26.0) | 7.2 (8.4) | 0.4 (1.5) |
| Percentage using care at a university hospital (%) | 39.7 | 25.8 | 4.5 |
| Average number of ambulance transportations (SD) | 1.4 (4.3) | 0.5 (1.0) | 0.02 (0.17) |
| Average number of emergency department visits (SD) | 0.7 (1.4) | 0.4 (0.7) | 0.07 (0.27) |
*Consisting of the compulsory deductible of €350.
†Dates of death were recorded until the 20 February 2015.
‡ Most of whom are institutionalised.
§ For those with mental healthcare costs >€0.
DRG, diagnosis-related groups; ICD, International Statistical Classification of Diseases.