WITHDRAWN The Ill, the Injured, and the Impoverished? Illuminating the Effects of Health and Wealth on Health Care Access in Austria, the US & the UK During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Author(s)
ABSTRACT WITHDRAWN
OBJECTIVES:
Access to health care is known to be significantly influenced by the so-called ‘social gradient in health’. This gradient skews access to health care to disfavour socially and economically disadvantaged and deprived groups of the population. In line with this many scholars have highlighted that the COVID-19 pandemic disproportionally affects marginalised and vulnerable groups when it comes to health care. In this article health care access, socio-economic-determinants of health and health (in)equity are reviewed.METHODS:
This article uses survey data from Austria, the USA and the UK to illuminate the interacting effects of health, wealth and income on access to health care amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Employed are various linear and non-linear statistical regression techniques to investigate the relationships between the variables, including controls, health-related behaviours and robustness checks.RESULTS:
The main findings corroborate the expected health-wealth gradient effects on health care access with regards to hospitals, general practitioners, specialists, and home care.CONCLUSIONS:
Wealth matters because it not only mitigates having a medical condition but improves health care accessibility for (relatively) healthy persons too. Medical conditions result in more barriers to health care access. In interaction wealth and comorbidities significantly reinforce inequitable access to health care.Conference/Value in Health Info
2022-11, ISPOR Europe 2022, Vienna, Austria
Value in Health, Volume 25, Issue 12S (December 2022)
Code
HSD75
Topic
Patient-Centered Research, Study Approaches
Topic Subcategory
Patient-reported Outcomes & Quality of Life Outcomes, Surveys & Expert Panels
Disease
SDC: Cardiovascular Disorders (including MI, Stroke, Circulatory), SDC: Mental Health (including addition), SDC: Respiratory-Related Disorders (Allergy, Asthma, Smoking, Other Respiratory), STA: Surgery