A prospective observational study exploring the association of comorbid chronic health conditions with total healthcare expenditure in people with mental health conditions in an Asian setting

Abstract

Background It is pertinent to focus on chronic medical condition (CMC) comorbidity with mental health conditions (MHC) as their co-occurrence has significant cost and health implications. However, current evidence on co-occurrence of MHC with CMC is mixed and mostly from Western settings. Therefore, our study aimed to (i) describe the association between MHC and total healthcare expenditure, (ii) examine the association between CMC and total healthcare expenditure and (iii) examine determinants of total and different types of healthcare expenditure in respondents with and without MHC in an Asian setting. Methods The data from Singapore Mental Health Study (SMHS) 2016, a nationwide epidemiological survey, were linked with the National claims record (from 2017 to 2019). Multivariable Generalized Linear Models (GLM) were used to examine the association between MHC and total and different types of healthcare expenditure. Results A total of 3077 survey respondents were included in current analysis. Respondents with MHC had a lower mean age of 38.6 years as compared to those without MHC (47.1 years). MHC was associated with increased total healthcare expenditure after adjusting for covariates (b = 0.508, p < 0.05). In respondents with MHC, presence of CMC increased the total healthcare expenditure by 35% as compared to 40% increase in those without MHC. Interestingly, 35–49 years age group with MHC had almost 3 times higher total healthcare expenditure and 7.5 times higher inpatient expenditure as compared to the 18–34 years age group. Conclusion Our study highlights variations in association of CMC and age with total healthcare expenditure in those with versus without MHC in an Asian setting. Practical recommendations include appropriate planning and resource allocation for early diagnosis and management of MHC, proactive screening for CMC in those with MHC and addressing the dual issues of treatment gap and stigma to facilitate early help seeking and prevent episodic, costly healthcare utilization.

The association between chronic conditions, COVID-19 infection, and food insecurity among the older US adults: findings from the 2020–2021 National Health Interview Survey

“…Poorer health conditions may also take up finances that would otherwise be used on food. The presence of chronic medical conditions increased the total healthcare expenditure by 35% to 40% [11] and the costs increased as the number of treated chronic conditions increased [12]. Compared with individuals without hypertension, those with hypertension had $1,920 higher annual healthcare expenditures, 2.5 times higher inpatient costs, double outpatient costs, and over 3 times higher prescription medication expenditures [13].…”