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Aslim EG, Chou SY, De K. Business cycles and healthcare employment. HEALTH ECONOMICS 2024; 33:2123-2161. [PMID: 38863079 DOI: 10.1002/hec.4866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2023] [Revised: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024]
Abstract
Is healthcare employment recession-proof? We examine the long-standing hypothesis that healthcare employment is stable across the business cycle. We explicitly distinguish between negative aggregate demand and supply shocks in studying how healthcare employment responds to recessions, and show that this response depends largely on the type of the exogenous shock triggering the recession. First, aggregate healthcare employment responds procyclically during demand-induced recessions but remains stable during supply-induced recessions. Second, healthcare utilization drops significantly during demand-induced recessions, explaining the decline in healthcare employment during these periods. Finally, there is significant heterogeneity in the employment responses of the healthcare sub-sectors. While healthcare employment in most sub-sectors responds procyclically during recessions caused by both negative demand and supply shocks, it responds countercyclically in nursing-dominant sectors. Importantly, by isolating the recessionary impact of negative aggregate demand shocks from supply shocks on healthcare employment, we provide new empirical evidence that healthcare employment, in general, is not recession-proof.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erkmen G Aslim
- Department of Economics, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, USA
| | - Shin-Yi Chou
- Department of Economics, Lehigh University, National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Kuhelika De
- Department of Finance, Risk & Insurance, and Economics, Lacy School of Business, Butler University, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
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Moon KJ, Linton SL, Mojtabai R. Medical Debt and the Mental Health Treatment Gap Among US Adults. JAMA Psychiatry 2024:2821271. [PMID: 39018037 PMCID: PMC11255967 DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2024.1861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 07/18/2024]
Abstract
Importance Medical debt is common in the US and may hinder timely access to care for mental disorders. Objective To estimate the prevalence of medical debt among US adults with depression and anxiety and its association with delayed and forgone mental health care. Design, Setting, and Participants Cross-sectional, nationally representative survey study of US adult participants in the 2022 National Health Interview Survey who had current or lifetime diagnoses of depression or anxiety. Exposures Self-reported lifetime clinical diagnoses of depression and anxiety; moderate to severe symptoms of current depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-8 score ≥10) and anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 score ≥10) irrespective of lifetime diagnoses; and past-year medical debt. Main Outcomes and Measures Self-reported delaying and forgoing mental health care because of cost in the past year. Results Among 27 651 adults (15 050 [54.4%] female; mean [SD] age, 52.9 [18.4] years), 5186 (18.2%) reported lifetime depression, 1948 (7.3%) reported current depression, 4834 (17.7%) reported lifetime anxiety, and 1689 (6.6%) reported current anxiety. Medical debt was more common among adults with lifetime depression (19.9% vs 8.6%; adjusted prevalence ratio [aPR], 1.97; 95% CI, 1.96-1.98), lifetime anxiety (19.4% vs 8.8%; aPR, 1.91; 95% CI, 1.91-1.92), current depression (27.3% vs 9.4%; aPR, 2.34; 95% CI, 2.34-2.36), and current anxiety (26.2% vs 9.6%; aPR, 2.24; 95% CI, 2.24-2.26) compared with adults without the respective mental disorders. Medical debt was associated with delayed health care among adults with lifetime depression (29.0% vs 11.6%; aPR, 2.68; 95% CI, 2.62-2.74), lifetime anxiety (28.0% vs 11.5%; aPR, 2.45; 95% CI, 2.40-2.50), current depression (36.9% vs 17.4%; aPR, 2.25; 95% CI, 2.13-2.38), and current anxiety (38.4% vs 16.9%; aPR, 2.48; 95% CI, 2.35-2.66) compared with those without these diagnoses. Medical debt was associated with forgone health care among adults with lifetime depression (29.4% vs 10.6%; aPR, 2.66; 95% CI, 2.61-2.71), lifetime anxiety (28.2% vs 10.7%; aPR, 2.63; 95% CI, 2.57-2.68), current depression (38.0% vs 17.2%; aPR, 2.35; 95% CI, 2.23-2.48), and current anxiety (40.8% vs 17.1%; aPR, 2.57; 95% CI, 2.43-2.75) compared with those without the diagnoses. Conclusions and Relevance Medical debt is prevalent among adults with depression and anxiety and may contribute to the mental health treatment gap. In the absence of structural reform, new policies are warranted to protect against this financial barrier to mental health care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle J. Moon
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Sabriya L. Linton
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Ramin Mojtabai
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
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Horný M, Anderson DM, Fendrick AM. Episode-Based Cost Sharing to Prospectively Guarantee Patients' Out-of-Pocket Costs. JAMA Intern Med 2024; 184:597-598. [PMID: 38466297 DOI: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2023.8566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
This Viewpoint proposes episode-based cost sharing as a way to prospectively guarantee out-of-pocket costs for patients while also preventing insurers from absorbing cost differentials created by unexpected complications of care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michal Horný
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - David M Anderson
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - A Mark Fendrick
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor
- Department of Health Management and Policy, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor
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FISCELLA KEVIN, EPSTEIN RONALDM. The Profound Implications of the Meaning of Health for Health Care and Health Equity. Milbank Q 2023; 101:675-699. [PMID: 37343061 PMCID: PMC10509522 DOI: 10.1111/1468-0009.12660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Revised: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Policy Points The meaning of health in health care remains poorly defined, defaulting to a narrow, biomedical disease model. A national dialogue could create a consensus regarding a holistic and humanized definition of health that promotes health care transformation and health equity. Key steps for operationalizing a holistic meaning of health in health care include national leadership by federal agencies, intersectoral collaborations that include diverse communities, organizational and cultural change in medical education, and implementation of high-quality primary care. The 2023 report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine on achieving whole health offers recommendations for action.
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Carlton EF, Becker NV, Moniz MH, Scott JW, Prescott HC, Chua KP. Out-of-Pocket Spending for Non-Birth-Related Hospitalizations of Privately Insured US Children, 2017 to 2019. JAMA Pediatr 2023; 177:516-525. [PMID: 36972040 PMCID: PMC10043803 DOI: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2023.0130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
Importance Privately insured US children account for 40% of non-birth-related pediatric hospitalizations. However, there are no national data on the magnitude or correlates of out-of-pocket spending for these hospitalizations. Objective To estimate out-of-pocket spending for non-birth-related hospitalizations among privately insured children and identify factors associated with this spending. Design, Setting, and Participants This study is a cross-sectional analysis of the IBM MarketScan Commercial Database, which reports claims from 25 to 27 million privately insured enrollees annually. In the primary analysis, all non-birth-related hospitalizations of children 18 years and younger from 2017 through 2019 were included. In a secondary analysis focused on insurance benefit design, hospitalizations that could be linked to the IBM MarketScan Benefit Plan Design Database and were covered by plans with a family deductible and inpatient coinsurance requirements were analyzed. Main Outcomes and Measures In the primary analysis, factors associated with out-of-pocket spending per hospitalization (sum of deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments) were identified using a generalized linear model. In the secondary analysis, variation in out-of-pocket spending was assessed by level of deductible and inpatient coinsurance requirements. Results Among 183 780 hospitalizations in the primary analysis, 93 186 (50.7%) were for female children, and the median (IQR) age of hospitalized children was 12 (4-16) years. A total of 145 108 hospitalizations (79.0%) were for children with a chronic condition and 44 282 (24.1%) were covered by a high-deductible health plan. Mean (SD) total spending per hospitalization was $28 425 ($74 715). Mean (SD) and median (IQR) out-of-pocket spending per hospitalization were $1313 ($1734) and $656 ($0-$2011), respectively. Out-of-pocket spending exceeded $3000 for 25 700 hospitalizations (14.0%). Factors associated with higher out-of-pocket spending included hospitalization in quarter 1 compared with quarter 4 (average marginal effect [AME], $637; 99% CI, $609-$665) and lack of chronic conditions compared with having a complex chronic condition (AME, $732; 99% CI, $696-$767). The secondary analysis included 72 165 hospitalizations. Among hospitalizations covered by the least generous plans (deductible of $3000 or more and coinsurance of 20% or more) and most generous plans (deductible less than $1000 and coinsurance of 1% to 19%), mean (SD) out-of-pocket spending was $1974 ($1999) and $826 ($798), respectively (AME, $1123; 99% CI, $1069-$1179). Conclusions and Relevance In this cross-sectional study, out-of-pocket spending for non-birth-related pediatric hospitalizations were substantial, especially when they occurred early in the year, involved children without chronic conditions, or were covered by plans with high cost-sharing requirements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin F. Carlton
- Division of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor
- Susan B. Meister Child Health Evaluation and Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor
- Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
| | - Nora V. Becker
- Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
- Division of General Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor
| | - Michelle H. Moniz
- Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor
| | - John W. Scott
- Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
- Department of Surgery, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor
| | - Hallie C. Prescott
- Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor
- Veterans Affairs Center for Clinical Management Research, Health Sciences Research and Development Center of Innovation, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Kao-Ping Chua
- Susan B. Meister Child Health Evaluation and Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor
- Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
- Department of Health Management and Policy, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor
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Money Matters in Psychiatric Assessment, Case Formulation, Treatment Planning, and Ongoing Psychotherapy: Clinical Psychoeconomics. J Nerv Ment Dis 2022; 210:811-817. [PMID: 35703241 DOI: 10.1097/nmd.0000000000001552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Trainees often receive little guidance concerning money matters in patients' lives and treatment, that is, clinical psycho-economics. Accordingly, this article considers: a) practical approaches to inquiring about intrapsychic and interpersonal influences of money matters pertinent to psychiatric assessment; b) how money matters should impact case formulation; c) how money matters realistically impact treatment planning; and d) money matters in ongoing psychotherapy affecting transference, countertransference, and clinical supervision. To supplement their clinical experiences, the authors conducted a limited narrative review via PubMed, followed by snowballing for articles of interest. Evidence suggests that money matters influencing intrapsychic and interpersonal lives commonly cause emotional distress, generating a range of dysfunctional behaviors. These reactions manifest as explicit conflicts, implicit issues, and unequivocal money-related pathologies. Clinical vignettes illustrate specific issues. By explicitly addressing money matters in patient's intrapsychic and interpersonal lives, trainees can enrich their assessments, case formulations, treatment planning, and ongoing psychotherapy.
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McPeake J, Boehm L, Hibbert E, Hauschildt K, Bakhru R, Bastin A, Butcher B, Eaton T, Harris W, Hope A, Jackson J, Johnson A, Kloos J, Korzick K, McCartney J, Meyer J, Montgomery-Yates A, Quasim T, Slack A, Wade D, Still M, Netzer G, Hopkins RO, Mikkelsen ME, Iwashyna T, Haines K, Sevin C. Modification of social determinants of health by critical illness and consequences of that modification for recovery: an international qualitative study. BMJ Open 2022; 12:e060454. [PMID: 36167379 PMCID: PMC9516069 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-060454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Social determinants of health (SDoH) contribute to health outcomes. We identified SDoH that were modified by critical illness, and the effect of such modifications on recovery from critical illness. DESIGN In-depth semistructured interviews following hospital discharge. Interview transcripts were mapped against a pre-existing social policy framework: money and work; skills and education; housing, transport and neighbourhoods; and family, friends and social connections. SETTING 14 hospital sites in the USA, UK and Australia. PARTICIPANTS Patients and caregivers, who had been admitted to critical care from three continents. RESULTS 86 interviews were analysed (66 patients and 20 caregivers). SDoH, both financial and non-financial in nature, could be negatively influenced by exposure to critical illness, with a direct impact on health-related outcomes at an individual level. Financial modifications included changes to employment status due to critical illness-related disability, alongside changes to income and insurance status. Negative health impacts included the inability to access essential healthcare and an increase in mental health problems. CONCLUSIONS Critical illness appears to modify SDoH for survivors and their family members, potentially impacting recovery and health. Our findings suggest that increased attention to issues such as one's social network, economic security and access to healthcare is required following discharge from critical care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanne McPeake
- Critical Care, The Healthcare Improvement Studies Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Critical Care, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Glasgow, UK
| | - Leanne Boehm
- School of Nursing, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Elizabeth Hibbert
- Department of Physiotherapy, Western Health Foundation, Sunshine, Victoria, Australia
| | - Katrina Hauschildt
- Center for Clinical Management Research, VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Rita Bakhru
- Department of Internal Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
| | - Anthony Bastin
- Department of Peri-operative Medicine, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK
| | - Brad Butcher
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Tammy Eaton
- VA HSR&D Center for the Study of Healthcare Innovation, Implementation, & Policy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, US
- Department of Systems, Populations and Leadership, University of Michigan School of Nursing, Ann Arbor, Michigan, US
| | - Wendy Harris
- Intensive Care Unit, University College London, London, UK
| | - Aluko Hope
- Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - James Jackson
- Critical Illness, Brain Dysfunction, and Survivorship (CIBS) Center, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Annie Johnson
- Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Janet Kloos
- Department of Acute and Critical Care Nursing, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Karen Korzick
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Geisinger Medical Center, Danville, Pennsylvania, USA
| | | | - Joel Meyer
- Department of Critical Care, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | | | - Tara Quasim
- Critical Care, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Glasgow, UK
- School of Medicine, Dentistry and Nursing, University of Glasgow College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences, Glasgow, UK
| | - Andrew Slack
- Department of Critical Care, Guy's and St Thomas' Hospitals NHS Trust, London, UK
| | - Dorothy Wade
- Critical Care, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Mary Still
- Critical Care, Emory University Hospital, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Giora Netzer
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Ramona O Hopkins
- Center for Humanizing Critical Care and Pulmonary/Critical Care Medicine, Intermountain Medical Center, Murray, Utah, USA
- Psychology and Neuroscience, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, USA
| | - Mark E Mikkelsen
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Theodore Iwashyna
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Pulmonary & Critical Care, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Kimberley Haines
- Department of Physiotherapy, Sunshine Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Carla Sevin
- Department of Medicine, Division of Allergy, Pulmonary, and Critical Care Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
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Himmelstein DU, Dickman SL, McCormick D, Bor DH, Gaffney A, Woolhandler S. Prevalence and Risk Factors for Medical Debt and Subsequent Changes in Social Determinants of Health in the US. JAMA Netw Open 2022; 5:e2231898. [PMID: 36112374 PMCID: PMC9482049 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.31898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Cost barriers discourage many US residents from seeking medical care and many who obtain it experience financial hardship. However, little is known about the association between medical debt and social determinants of health (SDOH). OBJECTIVE To determine the prevalence of and risk factors associated with medical debt and the association of medical debt with subsequent changes in the key SDOH of food and housing security. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Cross-sectional analyses using multivariable logistic regression models controlled for demographic, financial, insurance, and health-related factors, and prospective cohort analyses assessing changes over time using the 2018, 2019, and 2020 Surveys of Income and Program Participation. Participants were nationally representative samples of US adults surveyed for 1 to 3 years. EXPOSURES Insurance-related and health-related characteristics as risk factors for medical debt; Newly incurred medical debt as a risk factor for deterioration in SDOHs. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Prevalence and amounts of medical debt; 4 SDOHs: inability to pay rent or mortgage or utilities; eviction or foreclosure; and food insecurity. RESULTS Among 51 872 adults surveyed regarding 2017, 40 784 regarding 2018 and 43 220 regarding 2019, 51.6% were female, 16.8% Hispanic, 6.0% were non-Hispanic Asian, 11.9% non-Hispanic Black, 62.6% non-Hispanic White, and 2.18% other non-Hispanic. A total of 10.8% (95% CI, 10.6-11.0) of individuals and approximately 18.1% of households carried medical debt. Persons with low and middle incomes had similar rates: 15.3%; (95% CI,14.4-16.2) of uninsured persons had debt, as did 10.5% (95% CI, 10.2-18.8) of the privately-insured. In 2018 the mean medical debt was $21 687/debtor (median $2000 [IQR, $597-$5000]). In cross-sectional analyses, hospitalization, disability, and having private high-deductible, Medicare Advantage, or no coverage were risk factors associated with medical indebtedness; residing in a Medicaid-expansion state was protective (2019 odds ratio [OR], 0.76; 95% CI, 0.70-0.83). Prospective findings were similar, eg, losing insurance coverage between 2017 and 2019 was associated with acquiring medical debt by 2019 (OR, 1.63; 95% CI, 1.23-2.14), as was becoming newly disabled (OR, 2.42; 95% CI, 1.95-3.00) or newly hospitalized (OR, 2.95; 95% CI, 2.40-3.62). Acquiring medical debt between 2017 and 2019 was a risk factor associated with worsening SDOHs, with ORs of 2.20 (95% CI,1.58-3.05) for becoming food insecure; 2.29 (95% CI, 1.73-3.03) for losing ability to pay rent or mortgage; 2.37 (95% CI, 1.75-3.23) for losing ability to pay utilities; and 2.95 (95% CI, 1.38-6.31) for eviction or foreclosure in 2019. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In this cross-sectional and cohort study, medical indebtedness was common, even among insured individuals. Acquiring such debt may worsen SDOHs. Expanded and improved health coverage could ameliorate financial distress, and improve housing and food security.
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Affiliation(s)
- David U. Himmelstein
- The City University of New York at Hunter College, New York, New York
- Department of Medicine, Cambridge Health Alliance, Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Public Citizen Health Research Group, Washington, DC
| | | | - Danny McCormick
- Department of Medicine, Cambridge Health Alliance, Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - David H. Bor
- Department of Medicine, Cambridge Health Alliance, Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Adam Gaffney
- Department of Medicine, Cambridge Health Alliance, Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Steffie Woolhandler
- The City University of New York at Hunter College, New York, New York
- Department of Medicine, Cambridge Health Alliance, Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Public Citizen Health Research Group, Washington, DC
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Madden JM, Bayapureddy S, Briesacher BA, Zhang F, Ross-Degnan D, Soumerai SB, Gurwitz JH, Galbraith AA. Affordability of Medical Care Among Medicare Enrollees. JAMA HEALTH FORUM 2021; 2:e214104. [PMID: 35977305 PMCID: PMC8796945 DOI: 10.1001/jamahealthforum.2021.4104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Importance Cost-sharing requirements can discourage patients from seeking care and impose financial hardship. The Medicare program serves many older and disabled individuals with multimorbidity and limited resources, but little has been known about the affordability of care in this population. Objective To examine the affordability of medical care among Medicare enrollees, in terms of the prevalence of delaying medical care because of costs and having problems paying medical bills, and risk factors for these outcomes. Design Setting and Participants Cross-sectional analyses conducted from November 1, 2019, to October 15, 2021, used logistic regression to compare the probability of outcomes by demographic and health characteristics. Data were obtained from the 2017 nationally representative Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (response rate, 61.7%), with respondents representing 53 million community-dwelling Medicare enrollees. Main Outcomes and Measures New questions about medical care affordability were included in the 2017 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey: difficulty paying medical bills, ongoing medical debt, and contact by collection agencies. A companion survey question asked whether individuals had delayed seeking medical care because of worries about costs. Results Respondents included 10 974 adults aged 65 years or older and 2197 aged 18 to 64 years; 54.2% of all respondents were women. The weighted proportions of Medicare enrollees with annual incomes below $25 000K were 30.7% in the older population and 67.4% in the younger group. Self-reported prevalence of delaying care because of cost was 8.3% (95% CI, 7.4%-9.1%) among enrollees aged 65 years or older, 25.2% (95% CI, 21.8%-28.6%) among enrollees younger than 65 years, and 10.9% (95% CI, 9.9%-11.9%) overall. Similarly, 7.4% (95% CI, 6.6%-8.2%) of older enrollees had problems paying medical bills, compared with 29.8% (95% CI, 25.6%-34.1%) among those younger than 65 years and 10.8% (95% CI, 9.8%-11.9%) overall. Regarding specific payment problems, 7.9% (95% CI, 7.0%-8.9%) of enrollees overall experienced ongoing medical debt, contact by a collection agency, or both. In adjusted analyses, older adults with incomes $15 000 to $25 000 per year had odds of delaying care more than twice as high as those with incomes greater than $50 000 (odds ratio, 2.47; 95% CI, 1.82-3.39), and their odds of problems paying medical bills were more than 3 times as high (odds ratio, 3.37; 95% CI, 2.81-5.21). Older adults with 4 to 10 chronic conditions were more than twice as likely to have problems paying medical bills as those with 0 or 1 condition. Conclusions and Relevance The findings of this study suggest that unaffordability of medical care is common among Medicare enrollees, especially those with lower incomes, or worse health, or who qualify for Medicare based on disability. Policy reforms, such as caps on patient spending, are needed to reduce Medical cost burdens on the most vulnerable enrollees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeanne M. Madden
- Department of Pharmacy and Health Systems Sciences, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Bouvé College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts
- Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Susmitha Bayapureddy
- Department of Pharmacy and Health Systems Sciences, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Bouvé College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Becky A. Briesacher
- Department of Pharmacy and Health Systems Sciences, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Bouvé College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Fang Zhang
- Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Dennis Ross-Degnan
- Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Stephen B. Soumerai
- Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Jerry H. Gurwitz
- Meyers Primary Care Institute, Worcester, Massachusetts
- Division of Geriatric Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester
| | - Alison A. Galbraith
- Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Boston, Massachusetts
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