Catastrophic health expenditure among single empty-nest elderly with multimorbidity in rural Shandong, China: the effect of co-occurrence of frailty.

This study demonstrates that there is a positive effect of co-occurrence of frailty on the CHE among the single empty-nest elderly with multimorbidity, and this effect varies by economic status. The health policy-makers should reorganize the healthcare system to make it pro-poor, so as to meet the multiple medical demand and reduce the potential economic burden and inequalities of older adults.