The association between voluntary health insurance and health outcomes in older adults in Europe: a survival analysis

Objectives: Voluntary health insurance (VHI) often serves a supplementary role in Europe. The ageing population and adoption of cost-sharing models in response to economic pressures raise concerns that VHI could contribute to health inequalities among older people. This study investigates the association of VHI with health outcomes among older people across 16 European countries and Israel. Study design: Prospective cohort study. Methods: Data on participants aged ≥50 years across 16 European countries and Israel were obtained from four waves (2013–2020) of the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). Gompertz proportional hazards models assessed the association of VHI with mortality and multimorbidity. Hazard ratios (HR) and 95 % confidence intervals (CI) are reported. Results: VHI prevalence was 38.2 % in 2013 and 34.9 % in 2015, with a higher prevalence among higher-income groups. VHI was associated with a 13 % lower risk of mortality (HR: 0.87, 95% CI: 0.81–0.94) after accounting for demographic, socioeconomic, lifestyle, and health-related factors. VHI was also associated with a lower risk of multimorbidity (HR: 0.92, 95 % CI: 0.87–0.97). Conclusions: VHI was associated with a reduced risk of mortality and multimorbidity, after adjusting for demographic, socioeconomic, lifestyle, and health-related factors. VHI might facilitate the access to timely and high-quality healthcare services, which may exacerbate health inequalities among older individuals.