Most Rhode Island Residents Satisfied with Quality of Care They Receive, Survey Indicates
Four out of five Rhode Island residents are satisfied with the "overall quality" of the health care they receive, according to survey of 446 residents between November 2001 and January 2002 by the University of Rhode Island and the Roger Williams Medical Center. The Providence Journal reports that nearly 90% of respondents are satisfied with their doctors, and 70.4% are satisfied with their health insurance. According to the survey:
- 95.7% of respondents said they have health insurance, up slightly from 93.8% of Rhode Islanders who were insured according to the 2000 Census. Rhode Island is No. 1 in the nation for percentage of insured residents.
- 80% said the government should subsidize health costs for those who cannot afford it; only 46.5% indicated they would be willing to pay higher taxes for such a plan.
- 90% have a regular doctor, and 90% have visited their doctor in the last six months.
- 45% indicated they had "no problems" with their physicians, although more than 25% said they experienced "long waits" while in a doctors office, and 20% had "to wait a long time to make an appointment."
- 80% said health care costs too much, and almost 36% said they failed to get "needed care" sometimes because of the expense.
- 64% indicated that health insurers have "too much influence" on treatment.
- 70.2% agreed that they "receive the best care available."
