"Time-Price" as the Hidden Barrier in Medical Care

Mariam Ali

Co-Presenters: Individual Presentation

College: College of Business and Public Management

Major: MPA.PUBAD-HEALTHMGMT

Faculty Research Mentor: Bok Gyo Jeong

Abstract:

Time is a commodity that individuals commonly dismiss its scarcity. It is considered to be a limited resource that cannot be recovered; therefore, it needs to be allocated optimally to ensure maximum utility. Similar to time, health is also irrecoverable, making it essential for an individual to allocate time to seek medical care when needed. It is usually seen that access to healthcare is tied to financial affordability and healthcare insurance. However, the non-monetary price is ignored in regard to time spent traveling, waiting, and receiving medical care. As a result, this could lead to opportunity costs for low-income earners and/or part-time employees, creating a hidden barrier in medical care in terms of "Time-Price".

The purpose of this study is to determine whether an individual's socioeconomic status (income and employment type) affects the "Time-Price" associated with seeking medical care. This study uses data from the American Time Use Survey (ATUS) to compare the time individuals allocate to medical care activities, including travel, waiting, and receiving care, across different income and employment types using descriptive analysis. Furthermore, a linear regression model assesses the relationship between these variables.

The study expects to find "Time-Price" being higher for low-income earners and/or part-time employees due to reasons such as their reliance on public transport and longer wait times. On the other hand, the opportunity cost for high-income earners per hour is greater. These results matter because understanding time allocation and constraints can help healthcare administrators and policymakers make decisions towards the encouragement or expansion of tele-health, mobile clinics, and scheduling flexibility to overcome "Time-Price" as the hidden barrier.

Keywords: Time, Medical Care, Healthcare, Opportunity Cost, Time-Use Data, ATUS