Addressing Financial Aid and Patient Independence as Part of Atopic Dermatitis Care

Discussions centered on mitigating the financial burden of pediatric atopic dermatitis through financial aid programs and enhancing support for young patients to independently manage their condition were emphasized at this year’s 2025 American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) meeting. | Image Credit: Evgeniya Primavera - stock.adobe.com

This content was produced independently by The American Journal of Managed Care® (AJMC®) and is not endorsed by the American Academy of Dermatology.

Reducing atopic dermatitis expenses through financial assistance programs and supporting patients to achieve self-managed care were emphasized as the American Academy of Dermatology 2025 annual meeting.1,2

Financial Burden and Health Care Access

Atopic dermatitis affects approximately 12% of children with inflammatory conditions, making it a common childhood ailment.1 The condition creates a substantial financial burden, costing over $4 billion annually. This includes both direct costs, like physician visits and medications, and indirect costs, like lost work time. Federal financial assistance programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programs (SNAP), improve health care affordability.

Researchers conducted a retrospective cross-sectional analysis using National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) data from 1998 to 2018. The NHIS sampled 35,000 households annually, using a geographically clustered sampling technique and oversampling Asian, Black, and Hispanic minority groups. Researchers split patients into an atopic dermatitis cohort and a non–atopic dermatitis cohort to measure cost-related medical care delays.

Of the 15,472,784 weighted participants, 1,740,946 patients (11.3%) had atopic dermatitis. A multivariable logistic regression analysis, controlling for sociodemographic factors, found that patients with atopic dermatitis were more likely to experience cost-related medical care delays (adjusted OR [aOR], 1.626; 95% CI, 1.366-1.936).

A subgroup analysis within the atopic dermatitis cohort showed that participants who received SNAP benefits were significantly less likely to have medical care delayed due to cost (aOR, 0.482; 95% CI, 0.342-0.679). Notably, public insurance and female gender protected against delays, while lack of insurance increased them.

The cross-sectional design and the nondermatological-specific cost question may have limited the study. Additionally, the researchers used income as a proxy for SNAP eligibility because familial assets and immigration status often determine eligibility.

The study results suggest pediatric atopic dermatitis links to increased cost-related medical care delays, but receipt of SNAP benefits may protect against these delays. Researchers explain the protective effect as a “spillover effect,” where SNAP frees up financial resources normally used for food, allowing them to be diverted toward medical care.

“Further work is needed with a variety of conditions across specialties to better understand the impact of SNAP in the medical setting,” the study authors concluded.

Barriers to Independent Patient Management

Researchers often document the transition from caregiver-supported disease management to self-management, or the health care transition, in chronic health conditions.2 However, they have not studied this process extensively for atopic dermatitis.

Patients with atopic dermatitis, aged 12 to 22 years, and parents of adolescents and young adults with the condition completed an online survey that explored their experiences with and barriers to the atopic dermatitis health care transition. The study included 307 total respondents; 96 were parents and 211 were patients with atopic dermatitis. The respondents were primarily female (78.8%), and 49.9% identified as non-White.

More than half of young adults and adolescents (58.2%) began taking on aspects of their atopic dermatitis care because they desired independence. There were 68.9% of the population who expressed the importance of managing their own care. Most patients and parents (87%) stated that atopic dermatitis severity impacted their or their child’s ability to self-manage.

Young adults and adolescents identified additional health care transition barriers, including fear of adverse effects from atopic dermatitis treatments (45.5%), lack of knowledge about what to do (33.6%), and moving to college or away from home (30.8%). Despite these barriers, 33.6% of parents did not receive guidance from their child’s atopic dermatitis provider to help them transition to managing their own care.

Young adults and adolescents with atopic dermatitis strive for independence in managing their condition, but they often face significant barriers, including atopic dermatitis severity, fears of treatment adverse effects, and environmental changes. Targeted support and interventions can address these challenges and improve health care transition outcomes for patients.

Bridging Financial Gaps and Fostering Independence

Based on both studies, researchers find it necessary that patients with atopic dermatitis are treated using a comprehensive approach that helps to alleviate financial burdens to improve health care access while empowering young patients with the tools and support they need for successful self-management to address both economic and developmental challenges associated with the condition.

References

1. Youn GM, Yang V, Yu Brenda, et al. Association between governmental financial support programs and decreased medical care affordability delays in pediatric atopic dermatitis. Presented at: AAD Annual Meeting 2025; March 7-11, 2025; Orlando, Florida. Poster 62096.

2. Johnson JK, Loiselle AR, Begolka WS. Barriers to achieving self-managed care for adolescents and young adults with atopic dermatitis. Presented at: AAD Annual Meeting 2025; March 7-11, 2025; Orlando, Florida. Poster 60644.