OBJECTIVES: Asthma is a chronic condition with a high prevalence and cost of care for children. While sociodemographic factors associated with childhood asthma prevalence have been described, these factors’ impact on medical expenditures is limited. In this study, we examined disparities in treated asthma prevalence and medical expenditures among US children.

METHODS: Using nationally representative data from the 2016-2021 Medical Expenditures Panel Survey, we conducted a cross-sectional study of 2,365 children with treated asthma compared to 40,497 children without treated asthma. Treated asthma was defined as whether the child had a medical event (emergency room visit, hospital inpatient stay, hospital outpatient visit, office-based medical visit, home health, and/or prescribed medicines) due to asthma. We included sociodemographic factors of race/ethnicity, age, gender, health insurance coverage, family poverty status, and census region. Two-part models and generalized linear models were used to estimate annual per-person incremental medical expenditures associated with asthma.

RESULTS: Children with treated asthma were more likely to be Non-Hispanic Black, Hispanic, male and publicly insured, while less likely to be uninsured. Children with treated asthma had $3362.56 in additional annual medical expenditures, of which $174.06 was out-of-pocket, compared to children without treated asthma. The additional expenditures included $955.96 for prescribed medicines, $151.52 for emergency room visits, and $858.17 for office-based medical visits. Non-Hispanic Black children with treated asthma had significantly fewer office-based medical visit expenditures ($803.20) than Non-Hispanic White children with treated asthma.

CONCLUSIONS: Disparities persist in treated asthma prevalence and associated medical expenditures by sociodemographic factors. Racial and ethnic disparities are markers, not drivers, of health inequity and further research can support actions to eliminate health inequities.

Disclaimer: The findings and conclusions in this presentation have not been formally disseminated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and should not be construed to represent any agency determination or policy.