TABLE 1.
Characteristics of Adults With IBD With Varying Degrees of Financial Hardship Due to Medical Bills
| Variable | No Financial Hardship From Medical Bills, Weighted % | Financial Hardship From Medical Bills But Able to Pay, Weighted % | Unable to Pay Bills at All, Weighted % | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sample, n | 362 | 45 | 47 | |
| Weighted sample, n (weighted %) | 2,366,413 (77%) | 352,878 (11%) | 367,697 (12%) | |
| Average Age, y | 54.2 (51.9–56.5) | 47.9 (39.1–56.8) | 43.4 (37.4–49.5) | <0.01 |
| Average BMI | 28.3 (26.9–29.6) | 32.4 (23.4–41.5) | 35.1 (27.7–42.6) | 0.048 |
| Female | 1,291,351 (55%) | 204,493 (58%) | 276,361 (75%) | 0.16 |
| Married | 1,366,840 (58%) | 126,577 (36%) | 106,926 (29%) | <0.01 |
| Less than high school education | 125,486 (5%) | 24,435 (7%) | 71,596 (19%) | <0.01 |
| Ever worked in past 12 months | 1,452,268 (62%) | 145,103 (41%) | 145,976 (40%) | 0.04 |
| Family size | ||||
| 1 | 597,993 (25%) | 53,038 (15%) | 75,010 (20%) | 0.06 |
| 2 | 984,191 (42%) | 106,040 (30%) | 92,366 (25%) | |
| ≥3 | 784,229 (33%) | 193,765 (55%) | 200,321 (54%) | |
| Family Income | ||||
| Poor/low-income | 587,211 (26%) | 130,688 (40%) | 267,160 (74%) | <0.01 |
| Middle/high-income | 1,673,032 (74%) | 197,345 (60%) | 94,502 (26%) | |
| Race/ethnicity | ||||
| Non-Hispanic white | 1,815,608 (78%) | 302,045 (86%) | 253,478 (73%) | 0.55 |
| Black | 133,346 (5%) | 22,001 (6%) | 32,719 (9%) | |
| Asian | 112,993 (5%) | 8,370 (2%) | 3,771 (1%) | |
| Hispanic | 277,453 (12%) | 20,694 (6%) | 59,223 (17%) | |
| Insurance status | ||||
| No insurance | 47,328 (2%) | 10,622 (3%) | 78,099 (21%) | <0.01 |
| Private | 785,649 (33%) | 155,266 (44%) | 186,165 (51%) | |
| Non-private | 1,533,436 (65%) | 186,990 (53%) | 103,433 (28%) | |
| Region | ||||
| Northeast | 444,176 (19%) | 121,637 (34%) | 31,365 (8%) | <0.01 |
| Midwest | 500,970 (21%) | 108,969 (31%) | 72,179 (20%) | |
| South | 908,703 (38%) | 45,380 (13%) | 228,781 (62%) | |
| West | 512,802 (22%) | 76,892 (22%) | 35,372 (10%) | |
| Smoking status | ||||
| Never smoker | 1,292,687 (55%) | 162,072 (46%) | 196,466 (53%) | 0.77 |
| Current smoker | 343,045 (15%) | 85,026 (24%) | 65,084 (17%) | |
| Former smoker | 730,094 (30%) | 106,000 (30%) | 106,401 (29%) | |
| Comorbidities | ||||
| Coronary heart disease | 211,557 (9%) | 8,998 (3%) | 18,054 (5%) | 0.22 |
| Diabetes mellitus | 324,199 (14%) | 37,546 (11%) | 52,103 (14%) | 0.89 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease | 157,366 (7%) | 39,452 (11%) | 54,493 (15%) | 0.17 |
| Hypertension | 892,784 (88%) | 66,080 (69%) | 140,222 (75%) | 0.36 |
| Hypercholesterolemia | 643,916 (75%) | 105,717 (81%) | 95,779 (79%) | 0.87 |
| Depression/anxiety/emotional problem causes difficulty with activity | 162,344 (12%) | 29,454 (12%) | 32,430 (10%) | 0.95 |
| Outcomes | ||||
| Emergency room visit | 637,651 (27%) | 105,097 (32%) | 186,107 (52%) | 0.0497 |