Background: We assessed changes in household spending and opinions about health-care insurance reform among parents in the pediatric emergency department (PED) during the current recession.
Methods: We conducted a survey of parents at a PED. Enrollment was in June and July 2009. We assessed demographics, employment and insurance status, and difficulty paying for household expenses. Open-ended questions addressed attitudes about health-care reform.
Results: Among 467 parents, job loss was associated with difficulty paying for food (OR 2.32, 95% CI 1.53-3.52), housing (3.21, 2.11-4.88), and utilities (2.19, 1.44-3.32). In total, 226 respondents cut household expenses. More respondents cut food expenses (20.8%) and utilities (15.8%) than child health care (12.0%). Of 154 respondents providing opinions about health-care reform, 66.9% endorsed reform, and 9.7% disagreed.
Conclusion: Parents with job loss reported hardship paying for household expenses. One in eight families have cut child health-care expenses. A population of PED parents commonly favored health-care insurance reform.