Costs lead six in ten Americans to delay or skip care, poll finds, six in ten want health reform now

Six in ten Americans have delayed or skipped receiving medical care because of concerns about costs, a new survey has found.

The survey, conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation, found that four in ten of those survey reported they had relied on home remedies or over-the-counter non-prescription drugs rather than going to see a doctor.

One in three reported they had skipped getting dental care or going in for check-ups, and roughly the same number had not filled a prescription for medicine because of cost concerns.

Majority supports health-care reform

Fifty-nine percent of those surveyed also said that they agreed with the statement that “It is more important than ever to take on health care reform now.”

Thirty-seven percent said they agreed with the statement “We cannot afford to take on health care reform right now.”

The survey found a marked partisan differences on the topic: while a majority of Democrats (77 percent) and Independents (56 percent) said they wanted health reform now, a majority of Republicans (57 percent) said they thought the now was not the right time.

To learn more:

• Read the survey results at the Kaiser Family Foundation website.
• Visit LocalHealthGuide’s Resources & Support page for a list of local health policy groups.

Tags: alth Insurance, Health-care Reform, Healthcare Policy, Insurance

Category: Health Insurance, Health-care Policy, Insurance