The Impact of Unmet Health Needs on Self-Rated Health and Out-of-Pocket Spending: Findings from IHIS-MEPS Linked Data

Kathleen Rowan, University of Minnesota
Christine G. Kunitz, University of Minnesota

Delayed and unmet need for health care may adversely impact health status. Delayed and forgone care may prolong treatment due to relapse or exacerbate the severity of health problems. While population and health researchers often use delayed and unmet need for care as outcomes of interest, few studies have empirically tested the link between forgone care and later health status, particularly in children. Here we use panel data and propensity scores to examine the impact of delayed and unmet need for health care on changes in health status in children. We also hypothesize that delayed and forgone care could increase health care costs at a later time point and examine the effects of delayed care and unmet need on total and out-of-pocket expenditures. To conduct these analyses, we link two data sets and contribute to expanding researchers' knowledge of potential data sources to address related issues.