PhD Candidate University of Michigan Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
Overview: COVID-19 caused significant delays in healthcare. Nevertheless, little is known about the fundamental human right to healthcare that has been compromised among underserved older adults. Using a national representative sample, the current study examines the association between financial hardship and delayed healthcare during the pandemic and race as a moderator.Proposal text: The COVID-19 pandemic caused significant delays in access to non-COVID healthcare. The delay disproportionally impacts older adults. However, older adults are heterogeneous, and little is known about the fundamental human right to healthcare that has been compromised among underserved older adults. Using a national representative sample, the current study aims to examine whether financial hardship is associated with delayed healthcare during the pandemic, as well as whether race moderates the association. The Health and Retirement Study (HRS) collected COVID-related data in 2020 from older adults living in the U.S. (N = 5,669). The outcome variable is delayed healthcare, which was measured by “Since March 2020, was there any time when you needed medical or dental care, but delayed getting it, or did not get it at all?” (1 = Yes, 0 = No). The predictors are financial hardship, race, and age in 2020. Financial hardship was measured by “Did you experienced any of the following: missed any payment, could not pay medical bills, didn’t have enough money to buy food, or others?” Race was coded as Non-White (1) and White (0), and age in 2020 was divided into age groups: 65 – 75, 76 – 85, and 86 and above. On one hand, results showed that during the pandemic, older adults who are older in age, 76 and above, were less likely to experience delayed care (β = -0.48, SE = 0.15, p < 0.01). On the other hand, during the pandemic, older adults who experienced financial hardships are significantly more likely to delay their healthcare (β = 0.50, SE = 0.08, P < 0.001). This association was moderated by race (β = 0.32, SE = 0.15, p < 0.05). Older adults of color are not only more likely to experience financial hardship during the pandemic (47% vs. 25%), but also the association between financial hardship and delayed healthcare was stronger. The findings broke the stereotype that older adults are “taken care of” by Medicare and revealed the harsh reality that underserved older adults (with financial hardship and racial minorities) were forced to choose between their finance and health during the pandemic. Social workers should pay more attention to the financial security of older adults early on because it eventually compromises access to healthcare.
