OBJECTIVES: Despite increased recognition that quality-of-life scores correlate with health care resource use, their relative predictive value remains understudied. This study compares a well-known quality-of-life measure against comorbidity status and current medical events in their ability to predict medical events in the subsequent 6-month period.  METHODS: Data are drawn from panels 10 (n=12,358; rounds 2/3) and 11 (n=13,944; rounds 4/5) of the Medical Expenditures Panel Survey (MEPS), collected in 2006 and 2007. The MEPS provides information obtained from medical providers on total number of medical events and conditions associated with each panel round, as well as the physical component summary (PCS) of the SF-12 (rounds 2/4), a self-reported health status survey. Three logistic regression models were used to estimate the probability of higher resource use (6+ medical events vs. < 6) in the subsequent 6 months. Model 1 included the number of comorbidities (none; 1; 2-3; 4+) and current count of medical events as independent variables. Model 2 included just current PCS, and model 3 included all predictors from models 1 and 2.  RESULTS: Despite being simpler, model 2 (AUC=0.80, pseudo-R2=0.11) had explanatory power close than that of model 1 (AUC=0.88, pseudo-R2=0.20). Model 3 (AUC=0.90, pseudo-R2=0.24) improved slightly on model 1. Under Model 3, a 5-point lower PCS was associated with a 33% increase in the odds of having 6+ medical events in the next 6 months, an association similar to that of having two more medical events (36% increase). CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that as compared to comorbidity counts and number of medical events, PCS has a similar ability to predict having 6+ medical events in the subsequent 6-month period.