Changes in health care and prescription medication affordability during the pandemic

About The Study: Health care affordability improved for low-income adults during the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in a narrowing of income-based disparities, while prescription medication affordability improved for all income groups. These findings suggest that the recent unwinding of COVID-19 pandemic–related safety-net policies may worsen health care affordability and widen existing income-based inequities. 

Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Rishi K. Wadhera, M.D., M.P.P., M.Phil., email rwadhera@bidmc.harvard.edu.

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(doi:10.1001/jamahealthforum.2024.1939)

Editor’s Note: Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, conflict of interest and financial disclosures, and funding and support.

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Media advisory: This study is being presented at the AcademyHealth 2024 Annual Research Meeting.

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About JAMA Health Forum: JAMA Health Forum is an international, peer-reviewed, online, open access journal that addresses health policy and strategies affecting medicine, health and health care. The journal publishes original research, evidence-based reports and opinion about national and global health policy; innovative approaches to health care delivery; and health care economics, access, quality, safety, equity and reform. Its distribution will be solely digital and all content will be freely available for anyone to read.