Chronic illness and poverty in The Netherlands

Background: The actual financial situation of chronically ill people is not known. Methods: A postal questionnaire was conducted among a sample of the non-institutionalised population (4,206 respondents). Results: Fourteen percent of chronically ill people were found to be poor as compared to 5% of those not chronically ill. The higher prevalence of poverty is the result of medical expenses as well as a low net income. The lower net incomes of those chronically ill could be partly explained by sociodemographic factors. Conclusions: Governments should recognise the effects of policy measures on expenses as well as on the Income of chronically ill people.