Overview
- The dataset logged about 720,000 men and 320,000 women receiving care for alcohol dependence or alcohol poisoning.
- People aged 60 to 69 showed the highest treatment rates, at roughly 40 per 1,000 men and 16 per 1,000 women.
- Treatment prevalence varied widely by state, led by Mecklenburg-Vorpommern at 23.1 per 1,000 versus about 12 per 1,000 in Rhineland-Palatinate, against a national average of 14.8.
- Barmer said the results should not be compared with prior years because methods changed, including excluding seasonal workers and requiring diagnoses across two quarters and at least a year of insurance.
- CEO Christoph Straub called the figures alarming, noted likely undercounting, highlighted lower recorded risk among people with higher education and income, and urged earlier, multi-professional support.