Becki Weiss|Raymond F. Palmer
Relationship Between Health Care Costs and Very Low Literacy Skills in a Medically Needy and Indigent Medicaid Population
The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio|University of Arizona|University of Arizona|The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
previous research established low literacy independently associated poorer health objective determine whether low literacy skill also associated higher health care chargeswe studied persons enrolled medicaid medical needindigence testing literacy skills english spanish measuring annual health care charges statistical analyses determined adjusting sociodemographic variables literacy associated chargesmean charges among subjects low literacy skills 3rdgrade reading level 10688 dollarsyear 2891 dollars better literacy skills 4thgrade reading level statistically significant difference p 025 difference persisted adjustment potentially confounding sociodemographic variablesbased small study limited reading skills seem independently associated higher health care charges among medically needy medically indigent medicaid patients