Health Affairs

Health Affairs, 28, no. 1 (2009): 15-25 doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.28.1.15 © 2009 by Project HOPE	New Online   Getting Health Reform Done   After the State of the Union   Incremental Reform   E-Health in Developing World   Most-Read Articles in 2009

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Scope Of Problem

Rising Out-Of-Pocket Spending For Chronic Conditions: A Ten-Year Trend

Kathryn Anne Paez, Lan Zhao and Wenke Hwang

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.

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