It’s tax season and many households are waiting on their tax refund to pay down debt or for spending on necessities. A recent report from the JPMorgan Chase Institute investigates how tax refunds, as a specific cash infusion, impact the timing of out-of-pocket healthcare spending. Drawing on the JPMC Institute Healthcare Out-of-Pocket Spending Panel data set, researchers analyzed average out-of-pocket healthcare expenditures in the 100 days before and after a tax refund payment. They found that cash flow dynamics are a driver for this type of spending and note that these findings could help insurers, health care providers, and financial intermediaries assist consumers with accessing care when it’s needed rather than when cash is on hand. Download the full report here and watch a recording of the Asset Funders Network Ask the Author webinar with Fiona Greig, Director of Consumer Research at JPMorgan Chase.
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