Abstract
The objective of this study was to assess the pattern of healthcare expenditures among United States (U.S.) adults aged ≥50 years with pain and annual total positive healthcare expenditures with different levels of perceived health. The study used the 2018 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data. Unadjusted and adjusted linear regression models were used to compare logarithmically transformed total healthcare expenditures between those with excellent, very good, good, and fair/poor health. The a priori alpha value was 0.05. The study included 5123 U.S. adults aged ≥50 with self-reported pain (excellent = 8.9%, very good = 28.3%, good = 36.2%, fair/poor = 26.6%). In adjusted analyses, compared to fair/poor health, those with excellent health had the greatest adjusted reduction in expenditures (55% lower), followed by very good health (36.5% lower) and good health (24.9% lower). In conclusion, total positive healthcare expenditures were comparatively lower among those with better perceived health status for older (≥50 years) U.S. adults with pain that interfered with normal work in the past four weeks.
Highlights
Pain is one of the most common reasons United States (U.S.) adults seek medical care [1,2]
Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) uses the sampling frame from the prior year’s National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), and the sample can be weighted during analyses to provide nationally representative estimates of the non-institutionalized U.S population [15]
The prevalence of excellent health was 8.9% (95% confidence interval (CI) = 7.7, 10.0), very good health was 28.3%, good health was 36.2%, and fair/poor health was 26.6%
Summary
Pain is one of the most common reasons United States (U.S.) adults seek medical care [1,2]. The prevalence of pain has increased in recent years and is associated with advanced age [3]. Chronic pain affects 116 million Americans and costs the U.S as much as $635 billion (in 2010 dollars) each year [5,6]. In 2017, an estimated $3.5 trillion was spent for healthcare expenditures due to chronic conditions in the U.S [7]. This is concerning given the increasing population and the higher prevalence of chronic conditions among older adults [8]. It is estimated that by 2030, all baby boomers will be ≥65 years old, and the older adult population will outnumber children in the U.S [9]. The increasing population of people with pain puts a significant economic burden on the healthcare system and healthcare providers; it has been deemed a public health crisis [9]
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