Comparison of Healthcare Expenditures Among Individuals With and Without Long Covid in the United States
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 13775415 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Emeka Elvis Duru (0000-0003-3282-1922, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA, corresponding author), Godwin Okoye (The University of Texas at Austin, TX, USA), Sanghoon Lee (0000-0002-2920-4213, Hannam University, Daejeon, Republic of Korea), S J Lee (0009-0007-4276-8711, Hannam University), Peter Weir (0000-0003-3111-7829, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA), Jaewhan Kim (0000-0002-8147-1159, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 63 |
| Pages | 469580251410890-469580251410890 |
| Publication date | 2026-01-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | INQUIRY The Journal of Health Care Organization Provision and Financing (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0046-9580 • E-ISSN: 1945-7243 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/00469580251410890 |
| PMID | 41482843 |
| OpenAlex | W7118086765 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 37 |
Long COVID increases healthcare utilization, yet differences in healthcare spending patterns between individuals with and without long COVID remain poorly characterized, especially at the national level. To evaluate differences in healthcare expenditures among U.S. adults with and without long COVID using nationally representative data. This cross-sectional study analyzed data from the 2022 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), including 16 762 unweighted adults (weighted population: 239 915 159). Healthcare spending outcomes included total expenditures and specific categories including office-based care, outpatient services, emergency room visits, hospital admissions, home healthcare, and prescription medications. A survey-weighted generalized linear model (GLM) with a log link and gamma distribution was used to estimate adjusted differences in expenditures between groups. Individuals with long COVID had significantly higher total healthcare expenditures (mean $11 567; SD $25 334) compared to those without long COVID ($7448; SD $21 734, P P = .01). Expenditures were significantly elevated for office-based visits (35% higher; β = 1.35, P = .02) and outpatient services (118% higher; β = 2.18, P < .01). No significant differences were found in emergency room, hospital admissions, or dental care expenditures. Long COVID imposes a substantial financial burden on individuals and healthcare systems, primarily through increased outpatient and office-based service utilization. Understanding these spending patterns can help inform policy decisions, optimize healthcare resource allocation, and guide targeted interventions to manage long COVID more effectively
Ambulatory care · Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19 · Emergency department · Health care · Health spending · Medical Expenditure Panel Survey · Medical prescription · Psychological intervention · Service (business · COVID-19 Clinical Research Studies · Intensive Care Unit Cognitive Disorders · Long-Term Effects of COVID-19
Twopm
Characterizing long Covid in an international cohort
The Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) Statement
Long covid—mechanisms, risk factors, and management
Symptoms, complications and management of long Covid
Attributes and predictors of long Covid
Estimating log models
Clinical course and risk factors for mortality of adult inpatients with Covid-19 in Wuhan, China
Systematic Review on Covid-19 Readmission and Risk Factors
Disparities in Health Care Spending and Utilization Among Black and White Medicaid Enrollees
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |