Health and Health Care Utilization Effects of Medical Debt Forgiveness

NCT ID: NCT04835012

Last Updated: 2021-04-20

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: UNKNOWN
• Total Enrollment: 17000 participants
• Study Classification: OBSERVATIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2020-11-09
• Study Completion Date: 2023-12-31

Brief Summary

The goal of this study is to estimate the direct, causal impact of medical debt on health care utilization, mental health, and wellbeing of patients. The investigators will conduct a survey to measure the impact of the debt forgiveness on health care use, mental health, and wellbeing. The survey will be administered to approximately 17,000 subjects of a recent medical financial intervention. In that prior intervention, a non-profit charity, RIP Medical Debt, purchased and abolished medical debt for a randomly selected about 6,000 (out of the 17,000) individuals. In this current protocol, the investigators will administer the survey, and will compare surveyed outcomes of subjects who received and did not receive the intervention.

Detailed Description

This study will estimate the direct, causal impact of medical debt on health care utilization, mental health, and wellbeing of patients. To do so, the investigators will administer a survey to approximately 17,000 subjects of a recent medical financial intervention. In that intervention, a non-profit charity, RIP Medical Debt, purchased and abolished medical debt for a randomly selected about 6,000 (out of the 17,000) study subjects. In this current protocol, the investigators will compare surveyed outcomes of subjects who received and did not receive the medical debt abolishment intervention. Because debt abolishment was randomized, comparing surveyed outcomes of treated and control subjects in the cross-section will allow the study to estimate the causal impact of the medical debt abolishment. The survey will measure the effects of medical debt on three sets of outcomes: (i) health care utilization, as measured by medical care visits, prescription drug utilization and adherence, and unmet need for medical care; (ii) mental health, as measured by validated screens for depression and anxiety; and (iii) subjective wellbeing, as measured by self-reported health, forgone consumption, and financial strain. This study would be the first to provide a direct, causal connection between the rising personal debt associated with U.S. health care and the health outcomes of its recipients.

Conditions

Health Care Utilization; Depression; Anxiety; Subjective Wellbeing

Study Design

• Observational Model Type: CASE_CONTROL
• Study Time Perspective: CROSS_SECTIONAL

Study Groups

Treatment

Subjects in this "treatment" group had their medical debt forgiven by a non-profit charity, RIP Medical Debt. This protocol will administer a survey to measure subjects' health care utilization, mental health, and subjective well-being.

Medical debt forgiveness

Intervention Type: OTHER

A non-profit charity, RIP Medical Debt, bought and retired medical debt for individuals that were assigned to the treatment group.

Control

No intervention was given to subjects in this "control" group. This protocol will administer a survey to measure subjects' health care utilization, mental health, and subjective well-being.

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

Medical debt forgiveness

A non-profit charity, RIP Medical Debt, bought and retired medical debt for individuals that were assigned to the treatment group.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Individuals ages 18 and over who owed medical debt to FFAM, a debt collections agency

Exclusion Criteria

• Excluded individuals who owed less than $500 in medical debt to FFAM
• Excluded individuals with missing social security numbers

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

Stanford University

OTHER

Sponsor Role: collaborator

National Opinion Research Center

OTHER

Sponsor Role: collaborator

Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab

OTHER

Sponsor Role: collaborator

National Institutes of Health (NIH)

NIH

Sponsor Role: collaborator

University of California, Los Angeles

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Wesley Yin

Associate Professor

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Wesley Yin, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of California, Los Angeles

Locations

UCLA IRB

Los Angeles, California, United States

Site Status: RECRUITING

Countries

United States

Central Contacts

Professor, PhD

Role: CONTACT

aorkin@research.ucla.edu

(310) 206-3969

Facility Contacts

Professor, PhD

Role: primary

aorkin@research.ucla.edu

310-206-3969

Other Identifiers

IRB#20-001700

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id