WTP estimates are highly tangible and thus suitable for measuring health care preferences. The feasibility and usefulness of WTP in JIA has not been examined. OBJECITVE: To assess the feasibility and construct validity of the WTP for measuring health preferences in JIA. METHOD: Parents were asked to estimate the monthly US dollar amount they would be willing to pay to obtain for their child 1) Drug A that provides near complete relief of arthritis symptoms (WTP(A)) and 2) Drug B that eliminates gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms (WTP(B)). A closed-ended question approach (yes/no) was used with random assignment of the initial bids (Drug A: $50/$125/$200/$300; Drug B: $5/$25/$30/$40). Parents who agreed to pay the initial bid were then asked whether they would pay 200% and then 400% of this initial bid. Information was obtained regarding family income, healthcare expenses as well as on various JIA outcomes: number of involved joints; visual analog scales of pain, GI discomfort and overall well-being; Childhood Health Assessment Questionnaire (CHAQ); the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory Rheumatology Module (PedsQL-R) and Generic Core Scale (PedsQL-G). Spearman correlations and regression analysis were done to examine the relationship between the WTP(A) or WTP(B) and other JIA outcomes. RESULTS: Fifty-four families of children with JIA (mean age: 10 yrs) were interviewed. Fifty-four percent of the patients had some GI discomfort and the mean/median number of involved joints was 4.3/2. WTP rating was refused by five families (9%). The mean/median of WTP(A) was $323/$200 and $54/$38 for WTP(B), respectively. After adjustment for the monthly family income, WTP (A) and WTP (B) were moderately corrrelated to pain, CHAQ, PedsQL-R and PedsQL-G (r=0.35-0.47). CONCLUSIONS: WTP appears to be a promising, easy to use method for assessing health care preferences in JIA. WTP is feasible and has construct validity in JIA. Further validation in a larger group of patients is warranted.