The impact of childhood language difficulties on healthcare costs from 4 to 13 years: Australian longitudinal study

Abstract

Purpose: This study investigated the relationship between children’s language difficulties and health care costs using the 2004–2012 Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC).

Method: Language difficulties were defined as scores ≤1.25SD below the standardised mean on measures of directly assessed receptive vocabulary (4–9 years) and teacher-reported language and literacy (10–13 years). Participant data were individually linked to administrative data, which were sourced from Australia’s universal subsidised healthcare scheme (Medicare).

Result: It was found that healthcare costs over each 2-year age band were higher for children with language difficulties than without in the 4–5-year-age bracket (mean difference = AU$357, 95%CI $59, $659), in the 6–7-year-age bracket (mean difference = AU$602, 95%CI $136, $1068) and in the 10–11-year-age bracket (mean difference = AU$504, 95%CI $153, $854). Out-of-pocket costs, that is the portion of healthcare costs paid for by the family, were also higher for children with than without language difficulties in the 4–5-year-age bracket (mean difference = AU$123, 95%CI $46, $199), in the 6–7-year-age bracket (mean difference = AU$176, 95%CI $74,278) and in the 10–11-year-age bracket (mean difference = AU$79, 95%CI $6, $152). Medical services accounted for 97% of total healthcare cost differences.

Conclusion: Overall the findings from this study suggest that language difficulties are associated with increased healthcare costs at key developmental milestones, notably early childhood and as a child approaches the teenage years.

Keywords:

• Language impairment
• children
• longitudinal

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.

Supplementary material available online

Notes

1 Interactions with time are included to capture how the mean effect varies by age. That is, the effect of language difficulties on healthcare costs is shown to significantly differ at 4–5 years, 6–7 years and 10–11years.

1 Interactions with time are included to capture how mean differences varies by age. That is, the effect of language difficulties on medical service costs is shown to significantly differ at 4–5 years, 6–7 years and 10–11years. The effect of language difficulties on pharmaceutical costs is shown to differ at 10–11years.