Economic Downturn Leads U.S. Residents To Skip, Delay Medical Care

The AP/Salt Lake Tribune on Wednesday examined how the "ailing economy is leading many Americans to skip doctor visits, skimp on their medicine, and put off mammograms, Pap smears and other tests," a trend that physicians worry will result in "sicker patients who need more expensive treatment later."

A survey released on Tuesday by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that 36% of U.S. residents have delayed medical care in the past year because of cost, up from 29% in April. About three in ten say they have skipped a recommended test or treatment. In addition, a survey conducted in July by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners found that 11% of residents have reduced the number of medications they take or have decreased the dosage because of cost. According to an analysis conducted recently by IMS Health, U.S. prescription drug sales decreased by 0.4% in the second quarter, the first time that sales have not increased in at least the past 12 years.

Dick Clarke, president of the Healthcare Financial Management Association, said that elective surgeries, diagnostic tests and outpatient procedures in recent months have decreased by about 1% to 2% at many hospitals, compared with the 2% to 4% annual increase expected as the population ages. At the same time, hospitals have reported an increased number of patients, many of whom lack health insurance, who seek care in emergency departments, Clarke said.

The U.S. unemployment rate has increased from 4.7% to 6.1% over the past year, and many residents who have lost their jobs also have lost their health insurance. However, the "uninsured are not the only patients feeling the economy's sting," the AP/Tribune reports (Tanner/Johnson, AP/Salt Lake Tribune, 10/22).

Massachusetts Survey
In related news, the Boston Globe reports on a survey of Massachusetts residents by the Globe and the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation. The survey found that while insurance coverage is higher in Massachusetts than elsewhere in the country, "[s]ome are postponing treatments, and others are not filling prescriptions, because of high costs or an inability to pay bills from earlier procedures," the Globe reports (Lazar, Boston Globe, 10/23).