Research: 5.4% of North Hollanders have diabetes

November 8, 2023 – Diabetes is more common than many people think. According to the most recent figures, almost 156,000 North Hollanders currently have diabetes, which amounts to 5.4% of all residents in the province. There are, however, major local differences. In Den Helder, for example, this even concerns 7.4% of the inhabitants. This and more is evident from research that Independer conducted based on the most recent Vektis data in the run-up to World Diabetes Day (November 14).

There are proportionally fewer diabetics in North Holland than in other provinces. Only in Utrecht is the percentage lower (5.1%). The percentage is the highest in Drenthe. Here, 7.4% of residents have been diagnosed with diabetes. Relatively many people also have diabetes in Limburg (7.1%) and Groningen (6.8%).

Most diabetics live in these municipalities

There are major local differences within North Holland. According to the most recent figures, most people with diabetes live in Den Helder. In this municipality, 7.4% of the residents have diabetes. The percentage is also much higher in Purmerend than elsewhere in the province. The top 5 municipalities with the most diabetics:

1. Den Helder: 7.4% of residents have diabetes
2. Purmerend: 7.3% of the inhabitants have diabetes
3. Heemskerk: 6.7% of the residents have diabetes
4. Zaanstad: 6.3% of residents have diabetes
5. Beverwijk and Velsen: 6.2% of the residents have diabetes

In Bloemendaal the percentage is the lowest (3.6%).

Price of medication rises for type 2 diabetes

The costs of diabetes medication have increased significantly in recent years. For example, someone with type 2 diabetes paid an average of 93.06 euros last year and in 2018 this was ‘only’ 35.57 euros. This is evident from research by Independer based on data from the Dutch Healthcare Institute. The two most common forms of diabetes are type 1 and type 2. The big difference is that type 1 is congenital and type 2 usually is not. Type 2 may be due to genes, but may also be related to lifestyle. In the Netherlands there are more than 1.1 million people with diabetes, 90% of whom have type 2 diabetes. If we look at the reimbursement that insurers paid to pharmacies for patients with type 2 diabetes, we see a significant increase. In 2018, this cost an average of 35.57 euros per user per year and in 2022 this would increase to 93.06 euros. This amounts to an increase of 161.7%. The price increase is based on the 28 prescribed medications for type 2 diabetes.

The picture looks different for people with type 1 diabetes. They need treatment with insulin and the costs for this injection have generally decreased in price. The average reimbursement for all types of insulin together decreased per user by an average of 14.13% between 2018 and 2022.

Costs are covered by the deductible

The medicines for diabetes type 1 and type 2 are reimbursed by basic insurance. “If you have type 2 diabetes, you usually do not need to inject insulin, but initially you only use medication. These medications are reimbursed, but unfortunately at the expense of your deductible. In some cases you also have to pay a personal contribution for your medicines, but this may differ per insurer. So pay close attention to the conditions before you compare or take out insurance,” says Mirjam Prins, health insurance expert at Independer.

For more information about the research: https://www.independer.nl/zorgverzekering/info/onderzoek/diabetes