Rising out-of-pocket spending for chronic conditions: a ten-year trend.
We examined the prevalence of self-reported chronic conditions and out-of-pocket spending using the 2005 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) and made comparisons to previously published MEPS data. Our study found that the prevalence of self-reported chronic conditions is increasing among not only the old-old but also people in midlife and earlier old age. The greatest growth occurred in the number of people affected by multiple chronic diseases, a group with sizable out-of-pocket spending. Policymakers should be aware that cost sharing at the point of care can disproportionately burden people with chronic conditions and discourage adherence to drugs that prevent disease progression.
Paez
Kathryn Anne
KA
Center for Health Policy and Research, Social and Scientific Systems, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA. kpaez@s-3.com
Zhao
Lan
L
Hwang
Wenke
W
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005382:Financing, Personal / Q000639:trends*; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult