Household Incomes and Medical Outcomes: Evaluation of Cost-related Factors in Older Adults with Diabetes

This paper assessed the relationship of income position among
samples of older diabetic adults in the US on relative financial and
medical outcomes. Using data from the Health and Retirement Study,
unadjusted and adjusted variables indicating medical expenditures
and rates of medication underuse were analyzed by relative income
position and compared across two age groups (55 – 64 and 65 – 74).
Low-income diabetic populations were found to spend substantially
higher portions of total income on medical costs compared to high
income diabetics (34.08% in the bottom 10% vs. 1.24% in the top
10% for ages 55 – 64). Rates of medication underuse were found to
be differentiated at the median income position for the sample ages
55 – 64 and significantly higher across all income groups as
compared to the sample ages 65 – 74. Results of this study reinforce
significant established socioeconomic effects on health disparities
and suggest a need for policy addressing this issue.