Problems paying medical bills and mental health symptoms post-Affordable Care Act
Healthcare affordability is a worry for many Americans. We examine whether the relationship between having problems paying medical bills and mental health problems changed as the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was implemented, which increased health insurance coverage. Data from the 2013–2016 Health Refo...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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AIMS Press
2020-06-01
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| Series: | AIMS Public Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.aimspress.com/article/10.3934/publichealth.2020023/fulltext.html |
| _version_ | 1828868347622588416 |
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| author | Jacqueline C Wiltshire Kimberly R Enard Edlin Garcia Colato Barbara Langland Orban |
| author_facet | Jacqueline C Wiltshire Kimberly R Enard Edlin Garcia Colato Barbara Langland Orban |
| author_sort | Jacqueline C Wiltshire |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Healthcare affordability is a worry for many Americans. We examine whether the relationship between having problems paying medical bills and mental health problems changed as the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was implemented, which increased health insurance coverage. Data from the 2013–2016 Health Reform Monitoring Survey, a survey of Americans aged 18–64, were used. Using zero-inflated negative binomial regression, adjusted for predisposing, enabling, and need factors, we examined differences in days of mental health symptoms by problems paying medical bills (n = 85,430). From 2013 to 2016, the rates of uninsured and problems paying medical bills decreased from 15.1% to 9.0% and 22.0% to 18.6%, respectively. Having one or more days of mental health symptoms increased from 39.3% to 42.9%. Individuals who reported problems paying medical bills had more days of mental health symptoms (Beta = 0.133, p < 0.001) than those who did not have this problem. Insurance was not significantly associated with days of mental health symptoms. Over the 4-year period, there were not significant differences in days of mental health symptoms by problems paying medical bills or insurance status. Despite improvements in coverage, the relationship between problems paying medical bills and mental health symptoms was not modified. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T05:29:15Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c4ca9b5c079d441dbb0b87bfb0cd3ba2 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2327-8994 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T05:29:15Z |
| publishDate | 2020-06-01 |
| publisher | AIMS Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | AIMS Public Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-c4ca9b5c079d441dbb0b87bfb0cd3ba22022-12-21T23:58:06ZengAIMS PressAIMS Public Health2327-89942020-06-017227428610.3934/publichealth.2020023Problems paying medical bills and mental health symptoms post-Affordable Care ActJacqueline C Wiltshire0Kimberly R Enard1Edlin Garcia Colato2Barbara Langland Orban31 College of Public Health, University of South Florida, USA2 Department of Health Management and Policy, College for Public Health & Social Justice, Saint Louis University, USA1 College of Public Health, University of South Florida, USA1 College of Public Health, University of South Florida, USAHealthcare affordability is a worry for many Americans. We examine whether the relationship between having problems paying medical bills and mental health problems changed as the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was implemented, which increased health insurance coverage. Data from the 2013–2016 Health Reform Monitoring Survey, a survey of Americans aged 18–64, were used. Using zero-inflated negative binomial regression, adjusted for predisposing, enabling, and need factors, we examined differences in days of mental health symptoms by problems paying medical bills (n = 85,430). From 2013 to 2016, the rates of uninsured and problems paying medical bills decreased from 15.1% to 9.0% and 22.0% to 18.6%, respectively. Having one or more days of mental health symptoms increased from 39.3% to 42.9%. Individuals who reported problems paying medical bills had more days of mental health symptoms (Beta = 0.133, p < 0.001) than those who did not have this problem. Insurance was not significantly associated with days of mental health symptoms. Over the 4-year period, there were not significant differences in days of mental health symptoms by problems paying medical bills or insurance status. Despite improvements in coverage, the relationship between problems paying medical bills and mental health symptoms was not modified.https://www.aimspress.com/article/10.3934/publichealth.2020023/fulltext.htmlproblems paying medical billsmental healthaffordable care actinsurance coverage |
| spellingShingle | Jacqueline C Wiltshire Kimberly R Enard Edlin Garcia Colato Barbara Langland Orban Problems paying medical bills and mental health symptoms post-Affordable Care Act AIMS Public Health problems paying medical bills mental health affordable care act insurance coverage |
| title | Problems paying medical bills and mental health symptoms post-Affordable Care Act |
| title_full | Problems paying medical bills and mental health symptoms post-Affordable Care Act |
| title_fullStr | Problems paying medical bills and mental health symptoms post-Affordable Care Act |
| title_full_unstemmed | Problems paying medical bills and mental health symptoms post-Affordable Care Act |
| title_short | Problems paying medical bills and mental health symptoms post-Affordable Care Act |
| title_sort | problems paying medical bills and mental health symptoms post affordable care act |
| topic | problems paying medical bills mental health affordable care act insurance coverage |
| url | https://www.aimspress.com/article/10.3934/publichealth.2020023/fulltext.html |
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