Increasing Number of U.S. Residents Delay, Forgo Needed Health Care Because of Cost Concerns, According to Report
The number of U.S. residents who delay or forgo necessary medical care because of cost concerns has increased significantly in the last four years, according to a report recently released by the Center for Studying Health System Change, the Wall Street Journal reports. For the report, researchers surveyed about 18,000 residents in 2007 and compared the results to those of a similar survey conducted in 2003.
About 20% of residents said they had delayed or forgone necessary medical care at some point in the previous year, compared with 14% in 2003, according to the report. Among residents who said they had delayed or forgone necessary medical care in 2007, 69% cited cost concerns as a reason, the report found. The report found that 38% of uninsured residents said they had delayed or forgone necessary medical care in 2007. In addition, the report found that 17% of residents with health insurance said they had delayed or forgone necessary medical care in 2007, compared with 11% in 2003.
Peter Cunningham, lead author of the report, said, "As health care costs increase, more of those costs are shifting to people and families." He added that many residents might have "reached a tipping point" in terms of ability to afford medical care amid increased costs.
Karen Ignagni, CEO of America's Health Insurance Plans, said that lawmakers must address a number of issues -- such as differences in quality of care across the nation and the high costs of surgeries, medical imaging services and specialty medications -- to make medical care more affordable (Rubenstein, Wall Street Journal, 6/26).
The report is available online.
