Adverse Childhood Experiences: Health Care Utilization And Expenditures In Adulthood

Health Aff (Millwood). 2024 Aug;43(8):1117-1127. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2023.01271. Epub 2024 Jul 24.

Abstract

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been shown to be strong predictors of socioeconomic status, risky health behaviors, chronic health conditions, and adverse outcomes. However, less is known about their association with adult health care utilization and expenditures. We used new data from the 2021 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey-Household Component (MEPS-HC) to provide the first nationally representative estimates of ACEs-related health care utilization and expenditure differences based on direct observation, rather than model-based extrapolation. Compared to demographically similar adults without ACEs, those with ACEs had substantially higher utilization and 26.3 percent higher expenditures. The aggregate spending difference across the 157.6 million US adults with ACEs was $292 billion in 2021. Moreover, we observed large, graded relationships between ACEs and health status, health behaviors, and some dimensions of socioeconomic status. We also found associations between ACEs and a range of adverse adult circumstances, also newly measured in the 2021 MEPS, including financial and housing problems, social network problems, little or no life satisfaction, stress, food insecurity, verbal abuse, physical harm, and discrimination.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Adverse Childhood Experiences* / statistics & numerical data
  • Aged
  • Female
  • Health Behavior
  • Health Expenditures* / statistics & numerical data
  • Health Status
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Patient Acceptance of Health Care* / statistics & numerical data
  • Social Class
  • Socioeconomic Factors
  • United States
  • Young Adult