Study Finds Financially Burdened Patients Are Less Likely To Follow Prescribed Hypertension Treatment

More than 13 percent of adults under 65 who are treated for hypertension have high financial burdens, spending more than one-fifth of their income on medical expenditures, according to an article about an AHRQ-funded study published online in the May 21 issue of theAmerican Journal of Managed Care. “Out-of-Pocket Health Care Expenditure Burdens Among Nonelderly Adults with Hypertension” describes a study that used AHRQ’s Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data to examine the share of income spent on medical care and insurance among patients being treated for hypertension. The authors—one of whom is Didem Minbay Bernard, Ph.D., of AHRQ—further found that among those with high burdens,16 percent reported going without care and 14 percent reported delaying care due to financial reasons. The authors suggest that addressing financial barriers to care may improve patients’ compliance with their prescribed hypertension treatment.