Research Article

U.S. Health Care System Challenges: Examining Health Care Affordability Across Generations – Empirical Evidence of COVID–19 Pandemic

Volume: 11 Number: 22 October 31, 2025

U.S. Health Care System Challenges: Examining Health Care Affordability Across Generations – Empirical Evidence of COVID–19 Pandemic

Abstract

This paper examines the United States health care system challenges during COVID-19 pandemic. It tests the transgenerational groups’ health care affordability during the pandemic, considering the various demographic and socio–demographic characteristics that influenced such experiences. We first hypothesize that different generations’ medical challenges were not felt equally across the generations. Second, our hypothesis is that the characteristics of different groups with different medical challenges were also not the same. To test our hypotheses, we use data from the 2021 wave of the National Financial Capability Survey (NFCS), apply Chi–Square tests, and estimate logistic regressions. The overall results are supportive of our hypotheses. The paper advances knowledge of the intricate connection between medical costs and financial hardship in cross-generational settings during the COVID-19 epidemic. To overcome the continuous difficulties brought on by health crises and economic downturns, it emphasizes the significance of developing social cohesion and economic resilience across generations.

Keywords

Project Number

None

References

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  2. Bor, J., Raquib, R., Wrigley-Field, E., Woolhandler, S., Himmelstein, D., and Stokes, A. (2025). Excess death before, during, and after COVID-19 pandemic. JAMA Health Forum. Published Online: May 23, 2025. 2025;6;(5):e251118. doi:10.1001/jamahealthforum.2025.1118
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  4. Carey, N., Coley, R., Hawkins, S., and Baum, C. (2024 July). Emerging adult mental health during COVID: Exploring relationships between discrete and cumulative individual and contextual stressors and well-being. Journal of Adolescent Health: Improving the Lives of Adolescents and Young Adults, 75(1), 26-35.
  5. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023, May 30). Risk for COVID-19 infection, hospitalization, and death by age group. Retrieved from https://archive.cdc.gov/ www_cdc_gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/covid-data/investigations-discovery/ hospitalization-death-by-age.html
  6. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Public health Infrastructure Grant Report (2024). https://www.cdc.gov/infrastructure-phig/about/index.html
  7. CFPB, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (2021). Medical debt among older adults before the pandemic, CFPB Office for Older Americans.
  8. Collin, B. and Fingerhut, H. (2021, December 6). Pandemic stress weighs heavily on Gen Z: AP-NORC, MTV poll Retrieved from https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-lifestyle-anxiety-generations-d79bee29d08f68b85c5b537ebf5004ed

Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Health Care Administration

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Andrew Bahhouth This is me
0009-0005-7765-0049
United States

Publication Date

October 31, 2025

Submission Date

July 31, 2025

Acceptance Date

August 31, 2025

Published in Issue

Year 2025 Volume: 11 Number: 22

APA
Bahhouth, V., & Bahhouth, A. (2025). U.S. Health Care System Challenges: Examining Health Care Affordability Across Generations – Empirical Evidence of COVID–19 Pandemic. Journal of International Health Sciences and Management, 11(22), 119-128. https://doi.org/10.48121/jihsam.1753550
AMA
1.Bahhouth V, Bahhouth A. U.S. Health Care System Challenges: Examining Health Care Affordability Across Generations – Empirical Evidence of COVID–19 Pandemic. Journal of International Health Sciences and Management. 2025;11(22):119-128. doi:10.48121/jihsam.1753550
Chicago
Bahhouth, Victor, and Andrew Bahhouth. 2025. “U.S. Health Care System Challenges: Examining Health Care Affordability Across Generations – Empirical Evidence of COVID–19 Pandemic”. Journal of International Health Sciences and Management 11 (22): 119-28. https://doi.org/10.48121/jihsam.1753550.
EndNote
Bahhouth V, Bahhouth A (October 1, 2025) U.S. Health Care System Challenges: Examining Health Care Affordability Across Generations – Empirical Evidence of COVID–19 Pandemic. Journal of International Health Sciences and Management 11 22 119–128.
IEEE
[1]V. Bahhouth and A. Bahhouth, “U.S. Health Care System Challenges: Examining Health Care Affordability Across Generations – Empirical Evidence of COVID–19 Pandemic”, Journal of International Health Sciences and Management, vol. 11, no. 22, pp. 119–128, Oct. 2025, doi: 10.48121/jihsam.1753550.
ISNAD
Bahhouth, Victor - Bahhouth, Andrew. “U.S. Health Care System Challenges: Examining Health Care Affordability Across Generations – Empirical Evidence of COVID–19 Pandemic”. Journal of International Health Sciences and Management 11/22 (October 1, 2025): 119-128. https://doi.org/10.48121/jihsam.1753550.
JAMA
1.Bahhouth V, Bahhouth A. U.S. Health Care System Challenges: Examining Health Care Affordability Across Generations – Empirical Evidence of COVID–19 Pandemic. Journal of International Health Sciences and Management. 2025;11:119–128.
MLA
Bahhouth, Victor, and Andrew Bahhouth. “U.S. Health Care System Challenges: Examining Health Care Affordability Across Generations – Empirical Evidence of COVID–19 Pandemic”. Journal of International Health Sciences and Management, vol. 11, no. 22, Oct. 2025, pp. 119-28, doi:10.48121/jihsam.1753550.
Vancouver
1.Victor Bahhouth, Andrew Bahhouth. U.S. Health Care System Challenges: Examining Health Care Affordability Across Generations – Empirical Evidence of COVID–19 Pandemic. Journal of International Health Sciences and Management. 2025 Oct. 1;11(22):119-28. doi:10.48121/jihsam.1753550