Household Income Decline and Job Loss Among Survivors of Critical Illness: A Nationwide Cohort Study.

Abstract

To assess the socioeconomic consequences of critical illness by quantifying changes in household income level and unemployment among ICU survivors in a universal health coverage setting. This nationwide retrospective cohort study used the Korean National Health Insurance Service database. Adult ICU survivors between January 1, 2020, and December 31, 2022, were included. Patients who died within 1 year or had missing data were excluded. The final cohort consisted of 582,341 survivors. None. The primary endpoint was the change in household income level (scale 0-20) between pre-ICU and post-ICU years, analyzed using generalized estimating equation models. The most salient finding was a profound financial polarization among survivors. While the overall cohort experienced a significant and progressive decline in income rank (1-yr ratio of means [RoM], 0.994; 2-yr RoM, 0.976; both p < 0.001), this average masked a severe impact on the highest income quartile (Q4), which exhibited a substantial 6.5% relative drop in mean rank (RoM, 0.935). In contrast, the lowest quartile (Q1) showed relative stability (RoM, 2.198) due to a "floor effect" and transitions into the social safety net. Descriptively, 160,682 survivors (27.6%) experienced income decline, 60,432 (10.4%) suffered catastrophic decline, and 12.3% of 326,125 previously employed survivors were no longer employed within 1 year. Critical illness is associated with progressive socioeconomic deterioration characterized primarily by financial polarization. Even with universal health coverage, the economic burden hits previously high-earning households most severely, while lower income groups face potential asset depletion before transitioning to social safety nets. Policies integrating sustained financial protection and vocational rehabilitation into post-ICU survivorship care are essential.