Economic insecurity in older age can reduce the ability to cope with a costly disease and exacerbate racial health disparities. This study asks: How do different sources of financial resources associate with the control of type-2 diabetes, a common chronic condition in older age? We construct a new panel dataset that links electronic health records to employment and credit data for a sample of older adults in [name of state] from 2018-2022. We identify how wage earnings, access to credit, and debt are related to diabetes control and disability-related complications. We examine heterogeneity by race, gender, and income. The risk ratio for a 100-unit increase in credit score is 0.754 for being in the severely uncontrolled vs the controlled diabetes category, indicating a substantial decrease in risk for being in the severely uncontrolled diabetes group, pointing to the association between financial resources and diabetes control. Our high frequency data across diverse resource streams offers unique insights into early warning signs of economic insecurity in older age that contribute to racial disparities.
