An Analysis of Health Insurance Disparities and Treatment Adherence in Chronic Diseases

Abstract

With societal and technological development, people’s lifestyles and living environments have changed significantly, leading to an increasing prevalence of chronic diseases at younger ages. Poor lifestyle habits can result in the onset of chronic diseases within just a few months; however, the treatments are often long and costly. Even in societies with well-developed health insurance systems, many patients with chronic diseases are still unable to afford long-term treatment due to gaps or inefficiencies in coverage. This study focuses on the relationship between different types of health insurance and individuals with chronic diseases, aiming to explore disparities in coverage and treatment adherence. Using data from 18,919 individuals, descriptive analyses, Pearson correlations, and multivariate logistic regression were conducted, revealing that Medicare coverage is strongly associated with chronic disease presence, private insurance shows a modest positive association, and Medicaid shows no significant independent effect. These findings highlight the differential relationships between insurance coverage and chronic disease prevalence.