Associations of Source and Continuity of Private Health Insurance with Prevalence of Chronic Pain among US Adults

OBJECTIVES: Coverage by private insurance is associated with lower chronic pain prevalence, but the significance of different types of private coverage for the epidemiology of chronic pain is poorly understood. The primary outcome was pain prevalence. Among respondents with chronic pain, secondary outcomes included experiences of severe pain, high-impact pain, and opioid use. METHODS: We compared the prevalence of chronic pain among privately insured adults (aged 18-64 years) based on coverage source, coverage continuity, and relation to the policyholder using the 2019-2021 and 2023 rounds of the National Health Interview Survey. RESULTS: < 0.001). There was no difference in chronic pain prevalence based on relation to the policyholder and no differences in any secondary outcomes based on the study exposures. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that protecting the continuity of private coverage may help improve pain management and control the population prevalence of chronic pain.