Medical costs of discharged German COVID patients 50% above pre-admission levels: study

FILE PHOTO: A nurse treats a patient suffering from the coronavirus disease at the COVID-19 isolation ward of DRK Kliniken Berlin Mitte hospital in Berlin, Germany, November 11, 2020. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch

Medical costs of German COVID-19 patients who have left hospitals are on average 50% higher than before they were admitted, data from a major insurer showed, a sign that even those who have recovered struggle to regain full health.

The study from Germany's second-largest health insurer DKV <MUVGn.DE>, seen by Reuters on Sunday, looked at the data of 5735 COVID-19 patients, of whom 605 were hospitalised and 49 died.

"Our evaluation shows: patients who are no longer infectious are far from being healthy," DKV Chief Executive Clemens Muth told Reuters. "Corona will continue to burden us in the medium term."

A sign shows the way to the emergency department, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues, in Neuruppin, Germany, November 16, 2020. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch

The coronavirus proved especially dangerous for people with heart disease, high blood pressure or respiratory diseases, the study showed.

However, 15% of the patients with no pre-existing conditions - those who had not submitted any bills for at least two years - also had to be treated in hospitals.

(Reporting by Alexander Hübner; Writing by Arno Schuetze; Editing by Jan Harvey)