Cost And Quality: Consumers Continue To Face Obstacles

A new report finds that states generally do a poor job in communicating physician quality ratings to consumers, while a Gallup poll finds that cost issues continue to be a reason some people delay care.

Kaiser Health News: Capsules: Report: Most States Do A Poor Job Informing Consumers About Physician Quality
Now on Kaiser Health News’ blog, Julie Appleby reports: “When it comes to providing consumers with easily accessible information about physician quality, a report out today gave most states grades of ‘D’ or ‘F,’ often because they compile data only about primary care doctors, not specialists” (Appleby, 12/10).

The Hill: Poll: 30 Percent Delay Costly Medical Treatment
Thirty percent of adults say they or a family member had to put off medical treatment in the last year because it was too expensive, according to a Gallup poll released Monday. Breaking down those numbers more, nearly 60 percent of uninsured people, the poll indicates, say they have put off medical treatment (Shabad, 12/9).