Correlation between the Greek gross domestic product and health expenditure during the financial crisis, with emphasis on reimbursement of the cost of diabetic health materials by the National Organization for Healthcare Services Provision

During the years of the Greek economic crisis, the fluctuation of the gross domestic product (GDP) and its declining course as a macroeconomic indicator, in conjunction with the reduction of health expenditures by the National Or-ganization for Healthcare Services Provision (EOPYY), documented by data of the Organization for Economic Co-op-eration and Development (OECD), the Hellenic Statistics Agency (ELSTAT) and bibliographic reports, affected reim- bursement of the out-of-hospital cost of diabetic health materials, which underwent a gradual decrease. Indicative of this trend was the recorded reduction in reimbursement of the cost of blood glucose test strips by EOPYY, with subsequent risks for the health of people with diabetes mellitus (DM). Reduction of reimbursement of the cost of the diabetic materials by EOPYY was inevitable during the economic recession, due to the advocacy of the financial in-terests of EOPYY and the obligatory harmonization with the national economic goals. The related risks for the health status of people with DM were highlighted in this study, and specific measures have been proposed to reduce them.