Association of behavioral health factors and social determinants of health with high and persistently high healthcare costs [Preventive Medicine Reports]

Editor's note: A common interest among ACEs in Pediatrics members is finding research that shows how  ACE scores correlate with high cost health care utilization. This study in Preventive Medicine Reports looks into that correlation. 

"To our knowledge, no other studies have examined the effects of ACEs on utilization and cost, independent of medical condition acuity. ACEs exposure emerged as the sole factor independently associated with both initial and persistent high-cost status, aside from initial high cost status. That ACE exposure continues to affect health services utilization and costs well into mid- and later-life (the mean age of both groups was 64) is striking and provides further evidence of the persistent impacts of childhood trauma exposure."