The relationship between catastrophic health expenditure and health-related quality of life.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of our study was to investigate the relationship between catastrophic health expenditure (CHE) and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in general population.

METHODS: We used Korean Health Panel Survey data from 2011 to 2013, which included data from 8850 baseline participants of 19 years of age or older. We defined CHE as total annual out-of-pocket health payment that was 40% greater than the household's capacity to pay. HRQoL was measured using the EuroQol-visual analogue scale (EQ-VAS). We used generalized estimating equations to perform a longitudinal regression analysis.

RESULTS: A total of 4.5% of the participants (n = 398) experienced CHE. Those with CHE tended to have a lower EQ-VAS index score compared with those without CHE (β: - 1.34, p = 0.013). A subgroup analysis revealed that individuals experiencing CHE had significant decreases as the number of chronic diseases increased (three or more, β: - 1.85, p = 0.014).

CONCLUSIONS: Catastrophic health expenditure influences HRQoL, which was more pronounced in patient with chronic disease. The efforts should focus on people who suffer from excessive health expenditures and chronic diseases.