1. Changes Over Time in High Out-of-Pocket Health Care Burden in U.S. Adults With Diabetes, 2001–2011
- Author
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Li, Rui, Barker, Lawrence E, Shrestha, Sundar, Zhang, Ping, Duru, O Kenrick, Pearson-Clarke, Tony, and Gregg, Edward W
- Subjects
Public Health ,Health Sciences ,Health Services ,Basic Behavioral and Social Science ,Clinical Research ,Behavioral and Social Science ,Diabetes ,Metabolic and endocrine ,Good Health and Well Being ,Adolescent ,Adult ,Cost of Illness ,Diabetes Mellitus ,Female ,Health Care Costs ,Health Expenditures ,Health Services Accessibility ,Humans ,Insurance Coverage ,Insurance ,Health ,Male ,Medically Uninsured ,Middle Aged ,Poverty ,Social Class ,Young Adult ,Medical and Health Sciences ,Endocrinology & Metabolism ,Biomedical and clinical sciences ,Health sciences - Abstract
ObjectiveHigh out-of-pocket (OOP) costs can be an obstacle to health care access and treatment compliance. This study investigated trends in high OOP health care burden in people with diabetes.Research design and methodsUsing Medical Expenditure Panel Survey 2001-2011 data, we examined trends in the proportion of people aged 18-64 years with diabetes facing a high OOP burden. We also examined whether the trend differed by insurance status (private insurance, public insurance, or no insurance) or by income level (poor and near poor, low income, middle income, or high income).ResultsIn 2011, 23% of people with diabetes faced high OOP burden. Between 2001-2002 and 2011, the proportion of people facing high OOP burden fell by 5 percentage points (P < 0.01). The proportion of those who were publicly insured decreased by 22 percentage points (P < 0.001) and of those who were uninsured by 12 percentage points (P = 0.01). Among people with diabetes who were poor and near poor and those with low income, the proportion facing high OOP burden decreased by 21 (P < 0.001) and 13 (P = 0.01) percentage points, respectively; no significant change occurred in the proportion with private insurance or middle and high incomes between 2001-2002 and 2011.ConclusionsThe past decade has seen a narrowing of insurance coverage and income-related disparities in high OOP burden in people with diabetes; yet, almost one-fourth of all people with diabetes still face a high OOP burden.
- Published
- 2014