Paying for Pain: How Healthcare Costs Influence Physical Pain Predictions

The research finds that higher out-of-pocket healthcare costs can increase patients’ expectations of physical pain and reduce their willingness to schedule procedures, particularly when they are experiencing financial stress.

Key Takeaways:

• Across three experimental studies, higher out-of-pocket costs increased anticipated physical pain through the pain of paying and resulting financial anxiety.
• Financial discomfort can affect healthcare decisions as well as expectations, with higher costs reducing consumers’ willingness to schedule a medical procedure.
• The effect on scheduling intentions was strongest among financially stressed consumers, suggesting that payment structures and cost communication may have greater consequences for financially vulnerable patients.

“These findings extend pain of paying theory into the healthcare domain by demonstrating how financial cues spill over into perceptual and affective judgments under medical uncertainty.” — Kelli Frias and co-authors, Paying for Pain: How Healthcare Costs Influence Physical Pain Predictions

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