A growing body of evidence indicates that food
insecurity can increase the risk of bad health outcomes, complicate the ability
to manage illness, and increase health care costs for individuals and payers. A
new study that analyzed data from more than 67,000 Canadian adults found that
health care costs were significantly higher for food-insecure people, even
after adjusting for other socioeconomic and demographic variables. Households
with low food security (those facing uncertain or limited access to a
nutritious diet) incurred health care expenses that were 49% higher than those
who were food secure. And health care costs were 121% higher for those with
very low food security (people who missed meals or ate smaller meals because
they couldn’t afford food). Higher costs were seen across a variety of
health care services, including inpatient hospitalization, emergency room
visits, and physician services.
Source:
Urban Institute, 8/26/15, Cost
of Food Insecurity
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